PURPOSE: In vivo residual arterial pedicle length (RAPL) has been proposed as a quality indicator for central vascular ligation (CVL [i.e., RAPL≤10mm]) in colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. However, its survival association in non-routine CVL practice requires clarification. This study assesses the feasibility and reproducibility of measuring RAPL, and its oncological associations, in non-routine CVL surgery. METHODS: A prospective cohort study at Concord Hospital was conducted on anterior resection (AR) or right hemicolectomy (RH) patients with Stage I-III CRC (1995-2019). Using surveillance computed tomography (CT), RAPL of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) or ileo-colic artery (ICA) pedicle was measured independently by two observers. Intra-class correlation coefficient assessed measurement reproducibility. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses estimated overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Linear regression models tested association between RAPL and clinicopathological features. RESULTS: 1,425 patients had CRC surgery. Post-operative CTs were reviewed in 424 patients, with 422 (mean 69.0yrs[SD12.3]; 54.0%M) RAPLs measured. Most patients underwent an AR (59.2%). Excellent inter-rater reliability was noted in AR (ICC=0.97; P<0.001) and RH (ICC=0.89; P<0.001) patients. No association was observed between RAPL and OS or DFS in either group. RAPL lacked association with nodal harvest in both AR (P=0.54) and RH (P=0.16) patients. CONCLUSION: The value of RAPL as a quality marker of CRC surgery in non-routine CVL practice remains unconfirmed. Its lack of association with nodal harvest emphasizes the importance and the need for comprehensive pathology examination of the specimen following resection of CRC.