Rectal washout and local recurrence of cancer after anterior resection
Background: Adenocarcinomas of the rectum shed viable cells, which have the ability to implant. Intraoperative rectal washout decreases the amount and viability of these cells, but there is no conclusive evidence of the effect of rectal washout on local recurrence after rectal cancer surgery. Methods: Data were analysed from a population-based registry of patients who had anterior resection from 1