Carcinoma of the rectum. Profiles of intraoperative and early postoperative complications

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors that were significant in contributing the intraoperative and early postoperative complications for operations of carcinoma of the rectum.

Between 1984 and 1986 inclusive, 426 patients underwent surgery for primary adenocarcinoma of the rectum. Cases of local excision were excluded. The relationship between each complication and nominal risk factors were studied. The types of surgery included an abdominoperineal resection, low anterior resection, low anterior resection with coloanal anastomosis, anterior resection, colostomy, and Hartmann's procedure.

There were two (0.5 percent) deaths. Intraoperative complications occurred in 34 (8 percent) patients. The most common intraoperative complication was presacral bleeding which occurred in 14 patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 214 (50 percent) patients. The two most common complications were urinary retention and urinary tract infection. Abdominoperineal resection had the highest early postoperative complication rate (59 percent). There were 17 clinical anastomotic leaks (7 percent in 221 patients with unprotected anastomoses). The development of complications reached statistical significance with increasing age (P = 0.003), male sex (P = 0.003), increasing weight (P = 0.006), and types of operative procedure (P = 0.001).

Operations for carcinoma of the rectum can be performed with low mortality. Although the overall early postoperative complications were high, the majority was not life-threatening and usually resolved with time and proper management.