Long-term Complications of Lateral Pelvic Node Dissection in Rectal Cancer Patients

Rectal cancer patients undergoing lateral pelvic node dissection post preoperative chemoradiotherapy face high long-term complication rates, with lymphocele and anastomotic leakage as common issues. Half of them experience asymptomatic lymphoceles, mostly resolving spontaneously, while pelvic node metastases and number of nodes harvested correlate with long-term complications. Efforts to minimize complications from pelvic node dissection are warranted.