To investigate the effect of prophylactic ileostomy on inflammatory indexes, prealbumin and anal function in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical anus-preserving surgery for low rectal cancer.

Ninety-six patients with laparoscopic low rectal cancer radical anal sphincter surgery who were treated in Xuzhou Cancer Hospital from September 2010 to June 2012 were randomly divided into control group (conventional method) and observation group (preventive ileu-endostomy), with 48 cases in each group. The perioperative indicators were compared. The effects of anal function between 0.5-12 months after surgery and complications were recorded, and survival rate by Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test.

Compared with the control group, the levels of prealbumin in the observation group increased, and CRP and WBC decreased at the 5th day after operation (t=9.236, 8.335, 9.164, all P<0.05). The resting anal pressure, maximal anal systolic pressure and maximal rectal tolerance volume in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 6, 9 and 12 months after operation (P<0.05). The first anal exhaust time, defecation recovery time, hospitalization time and incidence of complications in the observation group were less than those in the control group (t=6.323, 5.913, 6.135, χ2=7.529, all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in 5-year survival rates, progression-free survival time and mean survival time between the two groups (χ2=0.349, P=0.560; t=2.475, 1.616, P=0.450, 0.329).

Prophylactic distal ileostomy can reduce the inflammatory reaction in patients with laparoscopic low rectal cancer with radical sphincter preserving surgery and significantly improve the anal function of patients.