Rectal cancer is a common malignancy treated with surgical resection and curative intent in the majority of cases. One treatment option is low anterior resection (LAR) with preserved bowel continuity, often involving the formation of a temporary defunctioning stoma (DS). The general aim of this thesis was to improve understanding of the role of DS in rectal cancer surgery with regard to timing of stoma reversal and development of anastomotic leakage (AL), impact on long-term anorectal function (AF), as well as aspects of cost-effectiveness. Study I addressed the timing of stoma reversal following LAR. We found that 19% of reversed patients were reversed within 4 months of LAR, while 81% of reversals were delayed. In 58% of delayed reversals the delay was due to low priority on surgical waiting lists. Studies II-IV were based on 234 patients randomized to receive a DS or no DS following LAR. Study II compared patients with AL following LAR diagnosed during the initial hospital stay (early leakage, EL) with patients diagnosed after hospital discharge (late leakage, LL). LL was more common in females, and originated more frequently from the transverse stapler line. EL was more common in males, and originated more frequently from the circular stapler line. Study III assessed AF 5 years after LAR with regard to whether patients initially had a DS or no DS. We found no difference in AF between the two randomized groups. When comparing with a 1-year follow-up in the same patient cohort, there were no further changes in AF over time. Study III assessed necessary healthcare resources and cost within 5 years of LAR, depending on whether patients initially had a DS or no DS. The overall cost analysis revealed a higher cost for patients randomized to DS, regardless of the cost-savings associated with a reduced frequency of anastomotic leakage.

The understanding of the mesorectal spread in rectal cancer has lead to wide acceptance of total mesorectal excision (TME) as the surgical technique of choice for carcinoma in the lower and mid rectum. While oncological results and survival have improved with TME-surgery, morbidity and mortality remain important issues. The most feared complication is symptomatic anastomotic leakage. The aim of this thesis was to focus on the role of the defunctioning stoma, risk factors, and postoperative monitoring in regard to anastomotic leakage in sphincter saving resection of the rectum. Intraoperative adverse events were analysed in a retrospective population based case-control study in which all patients who underwent elective anterior resection in Sweden between 1987 and 1995, and who died within 30 days or during the initial hospital stay (n=140), were compared with patients chosen at random (n=423) who underwent the same operation during the same period, but survived the operation. Intraoperative adverse events were more frequent in those who died, and reconstruction of an anastomosis judged unsatisfactory by the surgeon improved the outcome. In a population based retrospective case-control study, risk factors for symptomatic anastomotic leakage were investigated in randomly chosen sample of patients who underwent anterior resection in Sweden between 1987 and 1995 (n=432). Twelve per cent of the patients developed symptomatic leakage, and 25% of the patients with leakage ended up with a permanent stoma. In multivariate regression analysis, low anastomosis, preoperative radiotherapy, male gender and intraoperative adverse events were independent riskfactors for anastomotic leakage. In a randomised multicentre trial patients operated with sphincter saving TME¨surgery for rectal cancer were randomised to a defunctioning stoma (n=116) or not (n=118). The overall rate symptomatic leakage was 19%. Patienst without a defunctioning stoma leaked in 28% and patients with a defunctioing stoma in 10%, a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) not previously demonstrated in any randomised trial of adequate size. Postoperative monitoring with computed tomography scan (CT-scan) on postoperative day 2 and 7, and C-reactive protein (CRP) daily in 33 patients operated on with anterior resection of the rectum, demonstrated larger pelvic fluid collections in patients with leakage before the leakage was clinically diagnosed. CRP was increased from postoperative day 2 and onwards in patients in whom clinical leakage was diagnosed on median postoperative day 8. In 23 patients who underwent anterior resection of the rectum, intraperitoneal metabolism was investigated using microdialysis technique measuring the carbohydrate metabolites lactate, pyruvate and glucose. Intraperitoneal cytokines IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α were collected through a pelvic drain and analysed. In patients who developed leakage, the latate/pyruvate ratio was increased near the anastomosis on postoperative day 5 and 6, as well as IL-6 and IL-10 which were increased postoperatively day 1 and 2, while TNF-α was higher on day 1.