Postoperative complications after stent placement for obstructive colorectal cancer from the view point of long-term survival

Abstract

The treatment strategy for obstructive colorectal cancer is shifting from conventional emergency surgery to primary resection after bowel decompression. The stent placement followed by elective surgery（bridge to surgery：BTS）has been shown to be safe and effective not only in the short-term, but also in the long-term outcomes, and is expected to expand further in the future. However, BTS strategy has less frequent risks of stent-related complications, such as perforation and postoperative complications. Although it is well known that perforation is a poor prognostic factor, the prognostic impact of postoperative complications is unknown. In our study, postoperative complications have a significant negative prognostic impact in BTS patients, but not in patients with transanal decompression tube, which is another method of decompression. In this article, we review the current status of perioperative complications and their countermeasures from the viewpoint of long-term outcomes in BTS strategy.