Is the use of a transanal drainage tube effective in treating anastomotic leakage for mid-low rectal cancer

Table 2 Intention-to-treat analysis of the transanal drainage tube and non-transanal drainage tube groups, n (%)

Variables	All patients (n = 68)	non-TDT (n = 25)	TDT (n = 43)	Statistic	P value
Operation time (minute)	240.00 (203.75, 296.50)	240.00 (200.00, 296.00)	240.00 (212.50, 289.00)	Z = -0.03	0.975
Distance of anastomosis from the anus (cm)	4.00 (3.00, 6.00)	4.00 (3.00, 5.00)	4.00 (2.90, 6.00)	Z = -0.45	0.653
Intraoperative bleeding (mL)	50.00 (50.00, 100.00)	100.00 (50.00, 100.00)	50.00 (50.00, 100.00)	Z = -1.43	0.152
Reoperation	21 (30.88)	12 (48.00)	9 (20.93)	χ² = 5.43	0.02
Bacterial cultures of abdominal drainage fluid negative (days)	9.00 (6.00, 16.00)	10.00 (7.00, 16.00)	8.00 (5.00, 15.50)	Z = -0.92	0.355
Neutrophil number back to normal (days)	8.50 (5.00, 14.25)	10.00 (5.00, 15.00)	7.00 (5.00, 13.50)	Z = -0.53	0.596
Procalcitonin < 0.25 (days)	9.00 (5.00, 14.00)	10.00 (7.00, 14.00)	7.00 (5.00, 13.00)	Z = -0.61	0.545
Recovery enteral nutrition (days)	6.50 (3.00, 13.00)	8.00 (5.00, 10.00)	6.00 (2.00, 13.00)	Z = -1.45	0.146
Discharge albumin (g/L)	34.00 (32.00, 36.00)	35.00 (32.00, 36.00)	33.00 (31.00, 35.00)	Z = -1.48	0.14
Use of antibiotics (days)	10.00 (6.00, 16.00)	10.00 (7.00, 18.00)	10.00 (6.00, 15.00)	Z = -0.79	0.429
Cost (RMB)	109205.93 ± 57366.51	116891.43 ± 65540.44	104737.62 ± 52341.15	t = 0.84	0.404
Discharge after surgery (days)	21.00 (12.00, 29.00)	23.00 (15.00, 32.00)	19.00 (10.00, 28.00)	Z = -1.64	0.102
Death	1 (1.5)	1 (2.4)	0	-	1

TDT: Transanal drainage tube.