Anastomotic leak is one of the most severe complications in colorectal surgery, as it drastically impacts on morbidity and mortality rates and involves frequent reinterventions. Incidence rates range between 1.8 to 3% in most case series1,2, leading up to mortality rates from 7 to 39%. Despite its severity, patients often remain asymptomatic until late stages, with an increase in complications occurrences such as peritonitis, intra-abdominal collections or loss of perianastomotic tissue viability, implying more aggressive surgical procedures. It has been vastly demonstrated that an abdominal...

Study population We ran a retrospective study including 45 patients from November 2018 to December 2019 in a screening protocol for early anastomotic leak detection developed in conjunction with the General Surgery Department in our hospital. The protocol consisted of an abdominal CT scan performed on the 3rd and 4th postoperative days in rather symptomatic or asymptomatic patients who presented with CRP >15mg/dl or procalcitonin >0.65µg/l. Study technique and acquisition: A low dose non-enhanced abdominal CT scan of 80 kV was first obtained circumscribed to...

We included 40 patients aged from 29 to 90 years old (65.8 medium age), one of which was included twice due to recurrent leaking (n=41 in total). The population consisted of 72.5% males and 27.5% females. There were CT signs of anastomotic leak in 10 of 41(24.3%) patients. 3(30%) of those patients with anastomotic leak were completely asymptomatic. 70% of patients with anastomotic leak presented one or several of the clinical and analytical parameters analyzed(Table 2). Leukocytosis was present in 50% of the patients and...

Early anastomosis leak detection after left colon surgery embodies an enormous challenge for radiologists and colorectal surgeons due to its prevalence and severe comorbidity. Multidisciplinary development of a CT scan protocol for early detection of anastomotic leak supported by routine analytic parameters is key to anticipating its clinical onset. It allows prompt reintervention, avoiding infectious complications, loss of tissue viability, and aggressive posterior surgeries. This early detection protocol precisely determines the exact location of the leak in most of the cases and enlightens the presence...

A. Fernández Tamayo; Madrid/ES - nothing to disclose C. Segura Escribano; Madrid/ES - nothing to disclose M. J. Adan Martín; Madrid/ES - nothing to disclose E. Diez Uriel; Madrid, MADRID/ES - nothing to disclose J. Miranda Bautista; Madrid, MADRID/ES - nothing to disclose M. González Estévez; Madrid/ES - nothing to disclose A. Garcia; Madrid/ES - nothing to disclose

Rahbari, N., Weitz, J., et al. (2010). Definition and grading of anastomotic leakage following anterior resection of the rectum: A proposal by the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer. Surgery, 147(3), pp.339-351. Samji, K., Kielar, A., et al. (2018). Anastomotic Leaks After Small- and Large-Bowel Surgery: Diagnostic Performance of CT and the Importance of Intraluminal Contrast Administration. American Journal of Roentgenology, 210(6), pp.1259-1265. Kauv, P., Benadjaoud, S., et al. (2015). Anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery: diagnostic accuracy of CT. European Radiology, 25(12), pp.3543-3551. Huiberts, A.,...