Proctectomy with Coloanal Anastomosis

Anastomotic Technique-How to Optimize Success and Minimize Leak Rates

Determining when to perform a bowel anastomosis and whether to divert can be difficult, as an anastomosis made in a high-risk patient or setting has potential for disastrous consequences. While the surgeon has limited control over patient-specific characteristics, the surgeon can control the technique used for creating anastomoses. Protecting and ensuring a vigorous blood supply is fundamental, as is mobilizing bowel completely, and employing adjunctive techniques to attain reach without tension. There are numerous ways to create anastomoses, with variations on the segment and configuration of bowel used, as well as the materials used and surgical approach. Despite numerous studies on the optimal techniques for anastomoses, no one method has prevailed. Without clear evidence on the best anastomotic technique, surgeons should focus on adhering to good technique and being comfortable with several configurations for a variety of conditions.

Quality of life after rectal resection and multimodality therapy

Modern management of locally advanced rectal cancer requires a multimodality approach. This includes radical surgery, pelvic radiotherapy, and systemic chemotherapy. It can require a permanent colostomy and result in significant bowel, sexual, and urinary dysfunction. In order to determine the effectiveness of various multimodality regimens it is important to not only assess conventional oncologic outcomes but also the impact on patient's quality of life.

Impact of pelvic radiotherapy on morbidity and durability of sphincter preservation after coloanal anastomosis for rectal cancers

PURPOSE

This study was designed to assess the impact of pelvic radiotherapy on the incidence of complications and colostomy-free survival of patients after a coloanal anastomosis for rectal cancer.

METHODS

A total of 192 patients underwent a coloanal anastomosis between 1982 and 2001: 87 patients did not receive pelvic radiotherapy; 105 patients received pelvic radiotherapy (39 preoperative and 66 postoperative). Early and late complications requiring surgical intervention and the colostomy-free survival rate were assessed by retrospective review of patient records.

RESULTS

After a median follow-up of 62 months, 151 patients were alive. The most frequent complication was development of an anastomotic stricture (5-year rate of a stricture, 16 percent; 95 percent confidence interval, 10-21). Patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy had a higher rate of complications other than anastomotic strictures, including fecal incontinence, fistulas, abscesses, and bowel obstructions compared with patients not receiving pelvic radiotherapy (5-year rate: 20 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 10-29) vs. 5 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 0-10); P = 0.001). Patients receiving pelvic radiotherapy had a lower colostomy-free survival than did patients not receiving pelvic radiotherapy (5-year colostomy-free rate: 72 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 62-84) vs. 92 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 86-98); P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the colostomy-free survival of patients receiving preoperative and postoperative pelvic radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

After coloanal anastomosis, a significant number of patients will have complications requiring surgical intervention, and some will require a permanent colostomy. Pelvic radiotherapy, whether it is administered preoperatively or postoperatively, significantly increases the need for a permanent colostomy.

SPHINCTER-PRESERVING OPERATIONS WITHOUT DEFUNCTIONING STOMA

Sphincter-preserving operations have increasingly been carried out during the last few decades; nevertheless, temporary defunctioning stoma is still being frequently used for low colorectal anastomosis (LCRA) with staplers and hand-sewn coloanal anastomosis (CAA). From 1994 to 2003, 131 consecutive patients with rectal cancer with tumours within 7 cm from the anal verge underwent LCRA or CAA without defunctioning stoma. Anastomotic complications and treatment were compared between the groups. The median follow up was 31.4 months. Complications related to anastomosis were 10.7% for LCRA with 7.1% of anastomotic leakage (two men and two women) and 13.3% for CAA with 4.0% of anastomotic leakage (three men). Treatments for leakage included colostomy (three LCRA), CAA construction (one LCRA) and conservative treatment (three CAA). Twenty eight percent of CAA received preoperative radiation therapy, and the anastomic leakage developed in 14% of them. Anastomotic leakage and its treatment with CAA are different from those in LCRA, and CAA can safely be used without defunctioning stoma during sphincter-preserving operation for low-lying rectal cancer.