What is the incidence of anastomotic leaks in patients undergoing colorectal surgery?
In a single surgical unit, extraperitoneal anastomoses during colorectal surgery were identified as a major source of morbidity and mortality due to leaks.
Within this surgical unit, the incidence of leaks from intraabdominal anastomoses was relatively low. However, leaks in patients undergoing extraperitoneal anastomoses continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality.
Platell et al. (2006) studied this question.