Prevention and management of anastomotic bleeding after laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal cancer

Abstract

In recent years, the laparoscopic anterior rectal cancer resection is increasingly applied in clinical practice, however, laparoscopic operations and stapling techniques can bring a series of related complications. The anastomotic bleeding is one of the early complications in laparoscopic anterior rectal cancer resections. If the continuous anastomotic bleeding is not diagnosed or managed in time, it could lead to serious consequences, such as secondary surgery and shock. Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of anastomotic bleeding is meaningful. This paper investigates the reasons of anastomotic bleeding after laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal cancer, and introduces related preventions and treatments. Conservative treatment can be used first for small or delayed bleeding. As for acute bleeding from low anastomosis, transanal suture hemostasis can be considered. When the bleeding comes from high anastomosis and is massive and active, laparoscopic or open surgery must be performed immediately.