STUDY ON RECONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES IN LOW ANTERIOR RESECTION OF THE RECTUM

Abstract

Seventy-seven cases of rectal cancer undergoing low anterior resection of the rectum at the hospital from January 1985 to August 1993 were subjected to a study comparing for postoperative complication and the hight of anastomosed site by reconstruction procedures. There were 28 cases of manual suture and 49 cases of mechanical suture. The 49 cases included 15 cases of EEA method and 34 cases of double stapling technique (DST) in which EEA is inserted into the anus and is connected and anastomosed with the anvil of oral-side colon. No significant difference was noted in operative time among these procedures. Postoperative anastonotic leakage occurred in 10.7% of manual suture group; 13.3% of EEA group; and 5.9% in DST group. Wound and intraperitoneal infection developed in each one case from all groups. One EEA case and four DST cases had stricture at the anastomosed site, but none in manual suture cases. When the hight from the anal verge to anastomosed site was compared among three groups, DST was able to anastomose at a lower position than the others.