Efficacy of staple line reinforcement by barbed suture for preventing anastomotic leakage in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery

Table 2 Surgical outcomes and postoperative complications

Variables	Reinforcing sutures		P value
	Yes, n = 168	No, n = 151
Left colic artery ligation, n (%)			0.637
Yes	79 (47.0)	75 (49.7)
No	89 (53.0)	76 (50.3)
Number of staple firings, n (%)			0.902
≥ 3	16 (9.5)	15 (9.9)
< 3	152 (90.5)	136 (90.1)
Operation time (min)	150.4 ± 25.1	146.6 ± 20.2	0.135
Intraoperative transfusion, n (%)	20 (11.9)	15 (9.9)	0.574
Intraoperative blood loss (mL)	60.5 ± 43.9	58.2 ± 46.3	0.652
Complications, n (%)
Anastomotic leakage	8 (4.8)	17 (11.3)	0.031
Postoperative intestinal obstruction	25 (14.9)	17 (11.3)	0.339
Anastomosis stricture	12 (7.1)	17 (13.1)	0.202
Postoperative defecation dysfunction, 3 mo	31 (18.5)	25 (16.6)	0.657
Postoperative defecation dysfunction, 6 mo	23 (13.7)	21 (13.9)	0.955
Postoperative defecation dysfunction, 12 mo	12 (7.1)	9 (6.0)	0.671