Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) significantly impairs short-term outcomes. The impact on the long-term outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for AL and the impact on long-term survival in patients with left-sided colorectal cancer.Methods: Nine-hundred patients with left-sided colorectal carcinoma who underwent sigmoid or rectal resection were enrolled in the study. Risk factors for AL after sigmoid or rectal resection were identified, and long-term outcomes of patients with and without AL were compared.Results: AL rates following sigmoid and rectal resection were 5.1% and 10.7%, respectively. Higher ASA score (III–IV; OR = 10.54,p= 0.007) was associated with AL in patients undergoing sigmoid surgery on multivariable analysis. Male sex (OR = 2.40,p= 0.004), CCI score > 5 (OR = 1.72,p= 0.025), and T3/T4 stage tumors (OR = 2.25,p= 0.017) were risk factors for AL after rectal resection on multivariable analysis. AL impaired disease-free and overall survival in patients undergoing sigmoid (p= 0.009 andp= 0.001) and rectal (p= 0.003 andp= 0.014) surgery.Conclusion: ASA score of III–IV is an independent risk factor for AL after sigmoid surgery, and male sex, higher CCI score, and advanced T stage are risk factors for AL after rectal surgery. AL impairs the long-term survival in patients undergoing left-sided colorectal surgery.

Colorectal cancer remains the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, exceeding 1.9 million new cases annually. Surgery continues to be the gold standard treatment option. Unfortunately, colorectal cancer surgery carries significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. Moreover, most rectal cancer patients and some patients with locally advanced colon cancer require preoperative neoadjuvant therapy. It improves long-term outcomes but impairs patients’ physical fitness and thus further increases surgical risk. Recently, prehabilitation has gained interest as a novel strategy to reduce treatment-related morbidity for patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. However, the concept is still in its infancy, and the role of prehabilitation remains controversial. In this comprehensive review, we sum up present evidence on prehabilitation before colorectal cancer surgery. Available studies are very heterogenous in interventions and investigated outcomes. Nonetheless, all trials show at least some positive effects of prehabilitation on patients’ physical, nutritional, or psychological status or even reduced postoperative morbidity. Unfortunately, the optimal prehabilitation program remains undetermined; therefore, this concept cannot be widely implemented. Future studies investigating optimal prehabilitation regimens for patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer are necessary.

Our goal was to assess the impact of anastomotic leaks (ALs) on oncologic outcomes using a case-matched analysis. Patients undergoing right hemicolectomy for cancer between 2014 and 2018 were included. The main variables were the risk factor of anastomotic leak, overall survival and disease-free survival. Propensity score matching was performed according to the patient’s age, co-morbidities and TNM staging as well as the type of procedure. Oncologic outcomes were analyzed. We included 488 patients and performed final analysis on 69 patients. The AL rate was 4.71% (23 patients). Intrahospital mortality was significantly higher in the AL group, at 1.3% (6 of 465) vs. 8.7% (2 of 23), p = 0.05. Three-year overall survival (OS) in the non-AL group was higher, although the difference could not be considered significant (71.5% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.082); similarly, the likelihood for impaired 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) was lower, but the difference here could also not be considered significant (69.3% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.106). Age, advanced tumor stage, lymph node metastases and distant metastases were associated with higher probability of death or recurrence of disease. In contrast, minimally invasive surgery was associated with lower probability of death (HR (95% CI): 0.99 (0.14–0.72); p = 0.023) and recurrence of disease (HR (95% CI): 0.94 (0.13–0.68); p = 0.020). In an adjusted Cox regression analysis, AL, age and distant metastases were associated with poor long-term survival. Moreover, AL, age and distant metastases were associated with higher probability of recurrence of disease. Based on our results, AL is a significant factor for worse oncologic outcomes. Simple summary: we aimed to assess patients with anastomotic leaks following right hemicolectomy for cancer. These patients were matched to patients without leaks. Propensity score analysis demonstrated that anastomotic leak was a marker of worse oncologic outcomes.

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) significantly impairs short-term outcomes. The impact on the long-term outcomes remains unclear. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for AL and the impact on long-term survival in patients with left-sided colorectal cancer.Methods: Nine-hundred patients with left-sided colorectal carcinoma who underwent sigmoid or rectal resection were enrolled in the study. Risk factors for AL after sigmoid or rectal resection were identified and long-term outcomes of patients with and without AL were compared.Results: AL rates following sigmoid and rectal resection were 5.1% and 10.7%, respectively. Higher ASA score (III-IV; OR=10.54, p=0.007) was associated with AL in patients undergoing sigmoid surgery on multivariable analysis. Male sex (OR=2.40, p=0.004), CCI score >5 (OR=1.72, p=0.025) and T3/T4 stage tumors (OR=2.25, p=0.017) were risk factors for AL after rectal resection on multivariable analysis. AL impaired disease-free and overall survival in patients undergoing sigmoid (p=0.009 and p=0.001) and rectal (p=0.003 and p=0.014) surgery.Conclusion: ASA score of III-IV is an independent risk factor for AL after sigmoid surgery and male sex, higher CCI score, and advanced T stage are risk factors for AL after rectal surgery. AL impairs the long-term survival in patients undergoing left-sided colorectal surgery.