Effect of placing double-lumen irrigation-suction tube on closure of anastomotic defect following rectal cancer surgery.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the effect of placement of double-lumen irrigation-suction tubes (DLIST) on the closure of anastomotic defect (AD) after rectal cancer surgery.

METHODS

The study was carried out at two centers managed by one surgeon, both adopted the same treatments. Patients with postoperative AD after rectal cancer surgery from January 2011 to June 2020 were eligible and were divided into a passive drainage (PD) group and a DLIST group according to whether the PD, placed in the rectal cancer surgery, had been replaced with the DLIST. The effect of DLIST on the AL was evaluated.

RESULT

There distributed 76 patients in the DLIST group and 52 in the PD group. A higher closure rate was reported in the DLIST group (46 patients in DLIST group, for a closure rate of 60.5%, and 21 patients in PD group, for a closure rate of 40.4%. HR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.79-5.19; P < 0.001). Both length of stay and costs of the treatment in the DLIST group were lower (54 days [interquartile range, IQR: 41-17] days vs. 112 days [IQR: 66-27] days, P = 0.005; and $18,721 [IQR: $14,982-4,960] vs. $40,840 [IQR: $20,932-50,529], P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Placement of DLIST might serve as an effective method for treating AD following rectal cancer surgery. In comparison with PD, it costs lower to apply DLIST in the treatment of AD and the length of stay is shorter.