TABLE 1.
Patient characteristics
| Variables | Total (N = 630) |
|---|---|
| Anastomotic height (cm) a | 8.0 (5.0–12.0) |
| Basic characteristics, n (%) | |
| Male patients | 389 (61.7) |
| Age at surgery (years) a | 65.0 (58.0–69.0) |
| Follow-up (months) a,b | 58.0 (39.0–79.0) |
| BMI at surgery (kg/m2) c | 26.1 (3.8) |
| ASA score at surgery | |
| I | 192 (31.3) |
| II | 355 (57.8) |
| III | 64 (10.4) |
| IV | 3 (0.5) |
| Charlson comorbidity index at surgery a | 2.0 (2.0–2.0) |
| Previous lower abdominal surgery | 158 (25.1) |
| Previous upper abdominal surgery | 55 (8.7) |
| Smoking | |
| No | 467 (81.8) |
| Yes | 87 (15.2) |
| Recently quit | 17 (3.0) |
| Oncologic characteristics, n (%) | |
| Tumor stage (UICC) | |
| I | 229 (36.4) |
| II | 202 (32.1) |
| III | 180 (28.6) |
| IV | 18 (2.9) |
| Distant metastasis | |
| No | 572 (90.8) |
| Liver | 35 (5.6) |
| Lung | 14 (2.2) |
| Multiple locations | 9 (1.4) |
| Neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment, n (%) | |
| Radiotherapy | |
| No | 314 (50.3) |
| Neoadjuvant short course | 185 (29.6) |
| Neoadjuvant long course | 118 (18.9) |
| On pelvic region for other reason | 7 (1.1) |
| Adjuvant chemotherapy | 114 (18.4) |
| Years since last radiotherapy a | 6.0 (4.0–8.0) |
| Years since last chemotherapy a | 5.0 (3.0–7.0) |
| Surgical characteristics, n (%) | |
| Setting | |
| Elective | 569 (96.4) |
| Emergency | 22 (3.6) |
| Surgical approach | |
| Open | 226 (35.9) |
| Laparoscopic | 351 (55.8) |
| Conversion | 52 (8.3) |
| Method of anastomosis | |
| Hand-sewn | 30 (4.8) |
| Stapled | 589 (95.2) |
| Reconstruction | |
| Side-to-end | 418 (77.6) |
| Side-to-side | 18 (3.3) |
| End-to-end | 103 (19.1) |
| Temporary stoma | 320 (50.8) |
| Postoperative characteristics, n (%) | |
| Anastomotic leakage | 37 (5.9) |
| Reoperation | 32 (5.1) |
| Overall other types of complications | |
| No | 445 (70.6) |
| One complication | 136 (21.6) |
| More complications | 49 (7.8) |
a
Values are expressed as median (IQR).
b
Time between completing the questionnaires and the primary surgery or the reversal of the temporary stoma.
c
Values are expressed as mean (SD).
ASA = American Society of Anesthesiologists; BMI = body mass index; UICC = Union for International Cancer Control.