Delayed coloanal anastomosis reduces complications for low rectal cancer.

A study involving 305 patients found that delayed coloanal anastomosis (dcaa) resulted in a significantly lower overall postoperative complication rate of 15% compared to 31% for immediate coloanal anastomosis (icaa). Early and late anastomosis-related complications were also reduced in the dcaa group. Furthermore, at two years post-surgery, patients in the dcaa cohort displayed notably better anorectal function, with lower rates of major low anterior resection syndrome and severe incontinence, indicating dcaa may be the preferred approach.