Abdominosacral resection is not related to the risk of neurological complications in patients with low-rectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE

Some authors claim that the risk of sacrectomy-related neurological complications is a serious limitation of abdominosacral resection (ASR). We determined the incidence of neurological complications in patients with a low-rectal cancer who were treated by ASR.

METHOD: The clinical records of 54 consecutive patients with low-rectal cancer who were operated on by ASR were analysed. The occurrence of neurological complications in these patients was compared with that of 140 consecutive patients with cancer of the mid- and upper rectum who underwent anterior resection (AR) during the same period. Neurological complications were defined as bowel, bladder or sexual dysfunction, gait abnormalities and local parasthesiae persisting for more than 6 months following surgery.

RESULTS

There were no persisting neurological complications after either AR or ASR. At the end of hospitalization, the 16 of 140 and 12 of 54 of those treated with AR and ASR had neurological complications, which fell to five of 140 and three of 53 at 3 months, respectively; at 6 months, no one treated had any complications.

CONCLUSION

Neurological complications after AR and ASR were similar but recovery was complete at 6 months following surgery.