Purpose We evaluate the role of transanal tube drainage (TD) as a conservative treatment for patients with anastomotic leakage (AL).
Methods Patients treated for AL who had undergone a low or an ultralow anterior resection with colorectal or coloanal anastomosis for the treatment of rectal cancer between January 2013 and January 2017 were enrolled in this study. The data were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively. The primary outcomes were the diagnosis and the management of AL.
Results Two hundred thirteen consecutive patients, 122 males and 91 females, were included. The mean age was 66.91 ± 11.15 years, and the median body mass index was 24 kg/m2 (range, 20–35 kg/m2 ). The median tumor distance from the anal verge was 8 cm (range, 4–12 cm). Ninety-three patients (44%) received neoadjuvant therapy for nodal disease and/or locally advanced rectal cancer. Only 13 patients (6%) developed AL. Six patients developed subclinical AL as they had a defunctioning ileostomy at the time of the initial procedure. They were treated conservatively with TD under endoscopic guidance in the endoscopy unit and received intravenous antibiotics. Six weeks after discharge, these 6 patients underwent follow-up flexible sigmoidoscopy which showed a completely healed anastomotic defect with no residual stenosis. Seven patients developed a clinically significant AL and required reoperation with pelvic abscess drainage and Hartmann colostomy formation.
Conclusion These results suggest that TD for management of patients with AL is safe, cheap, and effective. Salvaging the anastomosis will help decrease the need for Hartmann colostomy formation. Proper patient selection is important.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
A Review of Postoperative Complications in Colon Cancer Surgery: The Need for Patient-Centered Therapy Adrian Silaghi, Dragos Serban, Corneliu Tudor, Bogdan Mihai Cristea, Laura Carina Tribus, Irina Shevchenko, Alexandru Florin Motofei, Crenguta Sorina Serboiu, Vlad Denis Constantin Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences.2025; 12(1): 21. CrossRef
Management of anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection with double-stapling anastomosis Kenji Kawada, Yoshiro Itatani, Kazutaka Obama Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery.2025; 29(10): 102178. CrossRef
Challenges in the interdisciplinary treatment of leakages after left-sided colorectal surgery: endoscopic negative pressure therapy, open-pore film drainage therapy and beyond Pasquale Scognamiglio, Anja Seeger, Matthias Reeh, Nathaniel Melling, Karl F Karstens, Thomas Rösch, Jakob R Izbicki, Marcus Kantowski, Michael Tachezy International Journal of Colorectal Disease.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Significance of information obtained during transanal drainage tube placement after anterior resection of colorectal cancer Yuki Okazaki, Masatsune Shibutani, Hisashi Nagahara, Tatsunari Fukuoka, Yasuhito Iseki, En Wang, Kiyoshi Maeda, Kosei Hirakawa, Masaichi Ohira, Zubing Mei PLOS ONE.2022; 17(8): e0271496. CrossRef
The usefulness of transanal tube for reducing anastomotic leak in mid rectal cancer: compared to diverting stoma Seok Hyeon Cho, In Kyu Lee, Yoon Suk Lee, Min Ki Kim Annals of Surgical Treatment and Research.2021; 100(2): 100. CrossRef
Treatment Modalities for Anastomotic Leakage in Rectal Cancer Surgery Deborah S. Keller, K. Talboom, C.P.M van Helsdingen, Roel Hompes Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery.2021; 34(06): 431. CrossRef
Retrospective study of active drainage in the management of anastomotic leakage after anterior resection for rectal cancer Xiaojie Tan, Mei Zhang, Lai Li, He Wang, Xiaodong Liu, Haitao Jiang Journal of International Medical Research.2021;[Epub] CrossRef
Improved colorectal anastomotic leakage healing by transanal rinsing treatment after endoscopic vacuum therapy using a novel patient-applied rinsing catheter Marcus Kantowski, Andreas Kunze, Eugen Bellon, Thomas Rösch, Utz Settmacher, Michael Tachezy International Journal of Colorectal Disease.2020; 35(1): 109. CrossRef
Surgical complications in colorectal cancer patients Haleh Pak, Leila Haji Maghsoudi, Ali Soltanian, Farshid Gholami Annals of Medicine and Surgery.2020; 55: 13. CrossRef
Effect comparison of three different types of transanal drainage tubes after anterior resection for rectal cancer Yun Luo, Chang-Kang Zhu, Ding-Quan Wu, Liang-Bi Zhou, Chong-Shu Wang BMC Surgery.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Percutaneous transesophageal gastro-tubing for the management of anastomotic leakage after upper GI surgery: a report of two clinical cases Yutaka Tamamori, Katsunobu Sakurai, Naoshi Kubo, Ken Yonemitsu, Yasuhiro Fukui, Junya Nishimura, Kiyoshi Maeda, Yukio Nishiguchi Surgical Case Reports.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Long-Term Results after Anastomotic Leakage following Rectal Cancer Surgery: A Comparison of Treatment with Endo-Sponge and Transanal Irrigation Alice Weréen, Martin Dahlberg, Göran Heinius, Emil Pieniowski, Deborah Saraste, Karolina Eklöv, Jonas Nygren, Klas Pekkari, Åsa H. Everhov Digestive Surgery.2020; 37(6): 456. CrossRef
Preventive strategies for anastomotic leakage after colorectal resections: A review Mostafa Shalaby, Waleed Thabet, Mosaad Morshed, Mohamed Farid, Pierpaolo Sileri World Journal of Meta-Analysis.2019; 7(8): 389. CrossRef
Transanal surgery: A tool in colorectal anastomotic leakage Pere Planellas Giné, Júlia Gil Garcia, Ramon Farrés Coll, Antoni Codina Cazador Cirugía Española (English Edition).2019; 97(10): 590. CrossRef
La cirugía transanal como herramienta en la dehiscencia de la anastomosis colorrectal Pere Planellas Giné, Júlia Gil Garcia, Ramon Farrés Coll, Antoni Codina Cazador Cirugía Española.2019; 97(10): 590. CrossRef