Immediate results of rectal resections for cancer in depending on the restoration of the integrity of the pelvic peritoneal floor: retrospective study

Background. Colorectal anastomotic leakage remains on of the most significant challenges in rectal surgery.
Objective: to assess the impact of pelvic peritoneal floor reconstruction on the incidence of postoperative complications associated with colorectal anastomosis.
Materials and methods. In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed medical records of rectal cancer patients who had undergone rectal resection with anastomosis formation between 2013 and 2020. we compared patients who had no pelvic peritoneal floor reconstruction (from 2013 to 2017) and those who had it (2018–2020). Only patients with favorable prognosis (tumor located at least 5 cm above the transitional anal fold and no history of chemoradiotherapy) were included. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of peritonitis and colorectal anastomosis leakage. Secondary outcome measures included overall incidence of complications (Clavien–Dindo), mortality rate, blood loss, and duration of surgery.
Results. A total of 120 patients were included into the experimental group, while the control group was composed of 125 patients. Ten patients from the control group developed peritonitis (8.0 %), whereas in the experimental group, there were no cases of peritonitis (p = 0.002). Anastomotic leakage was registered in 12 individuals from the experimental group (12.5 %) and 14 controls (11.2 %) (p = 0.753). The overall incidence of postoperative complications was 23.3 % (n = 28) among patients who had pelvic peritoneal floor reconstruction and 18.4 % (n = 23) among those who did not have it (p = 0.342). Colostomy was required in 92 patients from the experimental group (76.7 %) and 78 patients from the control group (62.4 %) (p = 0.018). The postoperative mortality was 0.8 % in the control group (n = 1) and 0 % in the experimental group (p = 1).
Conclusion. Pelvic peritoneal floor reconstruction reduces the risk of peritonitis, but does not affect the overall risk of anastomotic leakage. This method is effective for the prevention of severe postoperative complications.