[Risk factors for anastomotic leakage after anterior resection for rectal cancer].

OBJECTIVE To identify the risk factors associated with anastomotic leakage following an anterior resection for rectal cancer. METHODS Between June, 1999 and June, 2009, 628 patients underwent anterior resection for rectal cancer. A retrospective study of the cases was performed to identify the risk factors for anastomotic leakage following the resection. RESULTS The overall incidence rate of anatomic leak was 8.6% (54/628) in these patients. A low albumin level (less than 35 g/L), diabetes, absence of a protective stoma, a distance less than 7 cm from the tumor to the anal edge, and a tumor diameter over 5 cm were identified as the risk factors for anastomotic leakage after anterior resection. CONCLUSION For patients at a high risk for anastomotic leakage, a protective stoma can significantly decrease the rate of clinical leaks and subsequent reoperation after low anterior resection for rectal cancer.