BACKGROUNDPelvic floor peritoneum reconstruction is a key step in various standard resections for open radical rectal cancer. However, during endoscopic surgery, most surgeons do not close the pelvic floor peritoneum. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of pelvic peritonization during laparoscopic Dixon surgery using an observational study.

METHODSA total of 189 patients, who underwent laparoscopic Dixon surgery at Tianjin Union Medical Center, China, were analyzed retrospectively. All of the cases were divided into two groups according to the differences of surgical procedure. The 92 patients in Group A (observation group) underwent pelvic peritonization and the 97 patients in Group B (control group) did not undergo this procedure. Postoperative complications were observed in the two groups, compared, and analyzed using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test.

RESULTSThe incidence of anastomotic leakage was significantly lower in Group A than in Group B (P = 0.014). A significant difference was found in the postoperative short-term (P = 0.029) and long-term (P = 0.029) ileus rates between the two groups, with Group A exhibiting a lower rate than Group B. Patients in Group A had significantly lower rates of postoperative infections than those in Group B (χ2 = 7.606, P = 0.006; χ2 = 4.464, P = 0.035). Patients in Group A had significantly lower rates of deep venous thrombosis than those in Group B (χ2 = 8.531, P = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONSPelvic peritonization effectively reduces postoperative complications, such as anastomotic leakage, which warrants its increased use in laparoscopic surgery.