Right colon to rectal anastomosis (Deloyers procedure) as a salvage technique for low colorectal or coloanal anastomosis: postoperative and long-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND

After extended left colectomy, it may be difficult to take down a well-vascularized colon into the pelvis and perform a tension-free colorectal or coloanal anastomosis. The Deloyers procedure comprising complete mobilization and rotation of the right colon while maintaining the ileocolic artery may be used in this circumstance.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to report postoperative and long-term outcomes after the Deloyers procedure as a salvage technique for colorectal anastomosis or coloanal anastomosis.

DESIGN

From a prospective database, we retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent a Deloyers procedure.

SETTING

This study was conducted at the Colorectal Unit in a tertiary referral teaching hospital.

PATIENTS: Between 1998 and 2011, 48 consecutive patients underwent a Deloyers procedure. Indications were as following: Hartmann reversal (n = 17), previous colorectal anastomosis-related complications (n = 11), diverticular disease (n = 6), left colon cancer (n = 6), ischemic colitis (n = 3), iterative colectomy for cancer (n = 3), rectal cancer local recurrence (n = 1), and synchronous colon cancer (n = 1).

RESULTS

There were 38 men and 10 women (median age at surgery, 67 years). Colorectal anastomosis and coloanal anastomosis were performed in 38 and 10 patients. Thirty-one patients had defunctioning stoma. Mortality and early morbidity rate was 2% and 23%. Three patients (6%) had severe complications (Dindo ≥ 3). There was no anastomotic leakage. Reoperation was required in 2 patients for intra-abdominal hemorrhage. The median hospital stay was 12 days. The median follow-up was 26 months. All patients had their ileostomy closed. Twenty-three percent of patients developed late complications. The median number of bowel movements per day was 3 (range, 1-7), but 67% of patients had fewer than 3. One patient required an ileostomy refashioning because of poor functional results, and 23% of patients routinely take loperamide-based medication.

LIMITATION: The retrospective nature of the study was a limitation.

CONCLUSIONS

The Deloyers procedure is safe, associated with low morbidity and good long-term functional results. It represents a safe alternative to total colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis.