Table 3.
Characteristics and management of AL
| Characteristics | Non-AS group (n = 101) | AS group (n = 28) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anastomotic leakagea | 0.316 | ||
| Grade A | 16 (16) | 2 (7) | |
| Grade B | 51 (50) | 15 (54) | |
| Grade C | 34 (34) | 11 (39) | |
| POD of AL diagnosis, db | 7 (6–13) | 7 (5–16) | 0.861 |
| Anastomotic heightb | 6 (4–9) | 5 (4–7) | 0.456 |
| ≤ 5 cm | 47 (46) | 14 (50) | |
| 6–10 cm | 38 (38) | 9 (32) | |
| > 10 cm | 16 (16) | 5 (18) | |
| Extent of the anastomotic defectb | 20 (9–40) | 50 (27–71) | 0.011 |
| Up to 24% | 71 (70) | 14 (50) | |
| 25–49% | 18 (18) | 9 (32) | |
| 50–74% | 8 (8) | 4 (14) | |
| 75–100% | 4 (4) | 1 (4) | |
| Management of AL | |||
| ENPT | 59 (60) | 17 (60) | 0.832 |
| Cyclesb | 4 (2–6) | 5 (3–7) | 0.774 |
| Surgical revision* | 34 (34) | 11 (39) | 0.911 |
| Antibiotic therapy | 84 (83) | 24 (86) | 0.897 |
| LOS, db | 20 (14–35) | 23 (16–43) | 0.297 |
| Ostomy reversal | 74 (73) | 22 (78) | 0.576 |
| POD of ostomy reversal, db | 202 (169–275) | 318 (192–416) | 0.014 |
| Re-ostomy | 34 (33) | 10 (36) | 0.841 |
| Reversal of the re-ostomy | 10 (30) | 1 (10) | 0.076 |
POD postoperative day; AL anastomotic leakage; ENPT endoscopic negative pressure therapy; LOS length of stay; d day
aAs defined by the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer
bValues are median (interquartile range)
*Eight patients in the non-AS and two in the AS group underwent ENPT additionally to surgical revision