Long-term oncological outcomes of low anterior resection for rectal cancer with and without preservation of the left colic artery: A retrospective cohort study.

Abstract

BackgroundThere is uncertainty in the literature about the best surgical approach for low anterior resection of rectal cancer to deal with the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA), that is to preserve left colic artery or not. We analyzed the effect of preserving the left colic artery (LCA) on long-term oncological outcomes. MethodsWe retrospectively collected clinicopathological and follow-up details of patients who underwent low anterior resection for rectal cancer in the General Surgery Department of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, from January 2014 to December 2015. Cases were divided into low ligation (LL) or high ligation (HL) of the IMA The 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were compared between the two groups. ResultsAltogether, there were 221 cases in the LL group (LCA preserved) and 295 cases in the HL group (LCA not preserved). Postoperative 30-day mortality was 0.9% in the LL group and 1.4% in the HL group. Early complications occurred in 41.2% patients in the LL group and 38.3% in the HL group. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 8.6% of patients in the LL group and in 13.2% in the HL group. The numbers of lymph nodes harvested were 18.8 ± 9.6 in the LL group and 17.0 ± 6.6 in the HL group. The median follow-up periods were 51.4 (7–61) months in the LL group and 51.2 (8–61) months in the HL group. During follow-up, the percentages of patients who died, had local recurrence, or had metastases were 39.8%, 7.7%, and 38.5%, respectively, in the LL group and 39%, 8.5%, and 40%, respectively, in the HL group; these differences were not significant (all P ＞ 0.05). The 5-year OS and DFS were 69.6% and 59.6% in the LL group, respectively, and 60.1% and 56.2% in the HL group, respectively; these differences were not significant (all P ＞ 0.05). After stratification by tumor-node-metastasis stage, the difference between the 5-year OS and DFS for stages I, II, and III cancer were not significant (all P ＞ 0.05). ConclusionsThe long-term oncological outcomes of low anterior resection for rectal cancer with preservation of the LCA are comparable with those of ligation at the IMA origin.