Surgical complications after different therapeutic approaches for locally advanced rectal cancer

Table 4 Postoperative complications (events during admission and 30 d thereafter)

Complications	Treatment group	No. of patients	Total	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3a	Grade 3b	Grade 4a	Grade 4b	Grade 5	P value
Anastomotic leakage (LAR)	1	236	16		10		6				0.411
	2	151	9		3		6
	3	507	23		16		7
Perineal wound complications (APR)	1	110	13	9	3	1					< 0.001
	2	108	29	14	13	2
	3	85	8	4	3	1
Ileus	1	346	11	2	5		4				0.069
	2	259	14		13		1
	3	592	14	2	12
Bleeding	1	346	10	1	8		1				0.485
	2	259	10	2	7
	3	592	14	2	10		2
Intra-abdominal abscess	1	346	12	2	5	4	1				0.932
	2	259	10		5	2	3
	3	592	20	3	8	6	3
Abdominal wound complications	1	346	10	7	2		1				0.474
	2	259	10	6	4
	3	592	14	11	2		1
Urological complications	1	346	17	10	4		3				0.154
	2	259	16	5	8		3
	3	592	20	12	6		2
Intestinal necrosis	1	346	2				2				0.689
	2	259	3		2		1
	3	592	4				4
Gastrointestinal perforation	1	346	0								1.000
	2	259	0
	3	592	0
Intravenous line infection	1	346	8		8						0.641
	2	259	8		8
	3	592	12		12
Stoma complications	1	269	11	4	7						0.702
	2	228	14	3	11
	3	119	5	2	3
General complications	1	346	36	21	15						0.520
	2	259	34	17	17
	3	592	54	28	25	1

Group 1: Patients received 25 × 2 Gy radiation with capecitabine; Group 2: Patients received 10 × 3 Gy radiation; Group 3: Patients did not receive radiation; LAR: Low anterior resection; APR: Abdominoperineal resection.