Long term outcome of anastomotic leakage in patients undergoing low anterior resection for rectal cancer

The influence of anastomotic leakage (AL) on local recurrence rates and survival in rectal cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of asymptomatic anastomotic leakage (AAL) and symptomatic anastomotic leakage (SAL) on short- and long-term outcome after curative rectal cancer resection.