Role of transanal drainage tube in the prevention of anastomotic leakage after anterior resection for rectal cancer

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is one of the most serious complications of anterior resection for rectal cancer with morbidity about 10%. Distance of anastomosis to anal margin, underlying disease, surgical technique and perioperative situations are associated with AL. The transanal drainage tube (TDT) after anastomosis is gradually proved to be useful in prevention of AL. Most of the literatures suggest that TDT is simple and safe, and can reduce the incidence of AL. The materials and the operating process of TDT have been universalized gradually: application of silicone or rubber material, large lumen with several side holes, placement at a distance of 3 to 5 cm above the anastomosis for 5 to 7 days. However, selection bias existed in previous studies, and the main problems were disunity of enrolling standard and exclusion of patients with high AL risk, which would not fully reflect the value of TDT. Defunctioning stoma (or diverting stoma, DS) is a common method to prevent and treat the AL. At present, efficacy comparison between TDT and DS remains controversial. Thus, randomized, double-blind, controlled trials are needed to investigate the value of TDT in prevention of AL after anterior resection, especially for middle and low rectal cancer.