Revised risk factors and patient characteristics for failure to close a defunctioning ileostomy following low anterior resection for locally advanced rectal cancer

Background: Our clinical experience led us to raise questions about the validity of the reported risk factors and patient characteristics associated with permanent stomas after sphincter-preserving resection for rectal cancer. Objective: The present retrospective study aimed to identify and compare our center’s incidence and risk factors for a permanent ostomy after low anterior resection (LAR) with a diverting stoma for locally advanced mid and low rectal cancer with those in published reports. Patients: A total of 239 patients underwent a sphincter-preserving procedure (LAR) for rectal cancer between 2000 and 2018, and 236 of them (age range 33–83 years, 100 males (42%)) were included in the analysis. The study cohort was divided into 2 groups comprised of patients with and without permanent stomas after rectal cancer surgery. Results: Only 25 of the 236 operated patients (10.6%) remained with permanent stomas after rectal cancer surgery. Factors associated with stoma non-closure in the multivariate analysis were pathological stage 3 (13 (52%) vs 51 (24.2%) for patients with closed stomas, p = 0.032), disease recurrence (14 (56%) vs 40 (18.9%), respectively, p = 0.048), length of stay > 10 days, p = 0.032), and anastomotic leaks with a Clavien–Dindo score > 2 or reoperations (6 (24%) vs 13 (6.1%), p = 0.019). Conclusions: Sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer was associated with a lower incidence of stoma non-closure than published values. The major risk factors for non-closure were aggressive disease and severe complications of surgery.