Does the timing of protective ileostomy closure post-low anterior resection have an impact on the outcome? A retrospective study

Background: The optimal timing for ileostomy closure remains controversial, most of the surgeons are closing ileostomy after two to three months, although ileostomy closure considered a simple procedure, it can cause significant morbidity; this study aims to clarify any relation between the post-closure complications rate and the time from its creation to the repair. Method: From January 2010 to December 2017, data retrieved for a 405 patients who had protective ileostomy closure after rectal cancer surgery, our sample has been enrolled into two arms, the first arm includes whose ileostomies closed at or before three months, and the second arm involved whose ileostomies closed after three months from the index surgery, statistical analysis was performed and compared in both arms, Result: The overall post-closure complications in our hospital was 23.7%, there was no significant difference between the overall complications rate for both early and late closure groups (26.8% and 22.7%) respectively (P = 0.499), The majority of the complications were intestinal obstruction, and superficial surgical site infection, there was no significant association between the interval to ileostomy reversal and the intestinal obstruction although it was higher in the late closure group, in the other hand the surgical site infection complication found to be significantly higher in the early closure group than the late closure group (15.4% Vs 5.1%) with (P = 0.002). Conclusion: The duration between the creation of protective ileostomy and its reversal was not a significant independent predictor of post-closure complications rate.