European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
An increasing use of defunctioning stomas after low anterior resection for rectal cancer. Is this the way to go?
The last decade there has been an increased awareness of the problem of anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer, which may have led to more defunctioning stomas. In this study, current use of defunctioning stomas was assessed and compared to the use of defunctioning stomas at the time of the TME-trial together with associated outcomes. ⋯ In current surgical practice, 70% of patients undergoing LAR for rectal cancer receives a defunctioning stomas. This percentage seems increased when compared to data from the TME-trial. Clinically relevant anastomotic leakage rates remained similar. Therefore, current routine use of defunctioning stomas should be questioned.