Colorectal anastomosis leakage after anterior rectal resection: frequency, risk factors

Abstract

Purpose of the study. To study the frequency and risk factors for the development of colorectal anastomosis leakage after anterior rectal resection for cancer.Materials and Methods. In a retrospective cohort study between April 2011 and February 2018. The data of the case histories of patients who underwent combined treatment for rectal cancer were analyzed. The study included patients who underwent neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by surgery. The influence of risk factors on the incidence of AN was assessed based on multivariate analysis using the logistic regression method.Results. The study was conducted in 474 patients who underwent anterior resection for rectal cancer. Depending on the outcome of the operation, the patients were divided into two groups: with the formation of a preventive intestinal stoma (main group, n = 344) and without formation (control group, n = 140) The overall incidence of postoperative complications was 20.6 % in patients with preventive stoma (PS) and 26.1 % without PS (p = 0.198). Colorectal anastomosis (RCA) leaks were detected in 40 (11.6 %) patients in the PS group and in 9 (6.9 %) patients in the non-PS group (р = 0,134). This complication was detected on the 7th day (2–12 days) after the operation in 5 (9.8 %) patients, while in patients with PS on the 10th day (11.6 %) and without PS on 3 (6.9 %) %), (p = 0.134). According to the classification of NCA severity, grade A was detected in 12 patients, B – at 24, C – in 11 patients. The frequency of reoperations in patients with PS was 10.8 %, while in patients with PS it was 15 % (p <0.001). The most common reason for reoperations in patients with LCA in the group without PS was the development of peritonitis (5.4 %, p <0.001). In a statistical multivariate analysis, the most significant risk factors for the development of NCA were: the presence of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (p = 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.031) and stage III–IV of the disease (p = 0.051).Conclusions. The formation of a preventive intestinal stoma after anterior resections does not reduce the incidence of colorectal anastomosis leaks (p = 0.134), however, it reduces the degree of manifestation of AN in the severity of the course of the postoperative postoperative period (p = 0.029). The frequency of reoperations in patients without a PS is significantly higher than in patients with a stoma (p <0.0001). Diabetes mellitus, chemoradiotherapy, and stage III–IV of the disease are factors influencing the development of leakage.