Low ligation has a lower anastomotic leakage rate after rectal cancer surgery

Table 2 Surgical data and complications

Variables	High ligation (n = 235)	Low ligation (n = 227)	P value
Type of operation, n (%)			0.453
AR + anastomosis	218 (92.7)	216 (95.1)
AR + Hartmann's procedure	5 (2.1)	2 (0.9)
AR + anastomosis + ileostomy	12 (5.1%)	9 (4.0)
Conversion to open surgery, n (%)	4 (1.7%)	6 (2.6)
Operation time (min, mean ± SD)	163.1 ± 51.3	174.4 ± 61.8	0.142
Estimated blood loss (mL, mean ± SD)	47.5 ± 21.2	52.6 ± 23.7	0.363
Number of harvested lymph nodes (mean ± SD)	16.8 ± 6.2	13.7 ± 7.4	0.399
Transanal tube, n (%)	147 (62.5)	96 (42.3)	< 0.001
Anastomotic leakage, n (%)	24 (10.2)	6 (2.6)	0.001
Anastomotic bleeding, n (%)	4 (1.7)	3 (1.3)	0.738
Urinary dysfunction, n (%)	9 (3.8)	7 (3.1)	0.661
Time to first flatus (d, mean ± SD)	2.1 ± 0.6	1.9 ± 0.8	0.177
Hospital stay after operation (d, mean ± SD)	7.0 ± 1.2	6.3 ± 1.3	0.236

AR: Anterior resection.