BMI and pelvimetry help to predict the duration of laparoscopic resection for low and middle rectal cancer

In rectal cancer surgery, recent studies have found associations between clinical factors, especially pelvic parameters, and surgical difficulty; however, their findings are inconsistent because the studies use different criteria. This study aimed to evaluate common clinical factors that influence the operative time for the laparoscopic anterior resection of low and middle rectal cancer.

Patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of low and middle rectal cancer from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed and classified according to the operative time. Preoperative clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-related parameters were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors for predicting the operative time.

In total, 214 patients with a mean age of 60.3 ± 8.9 years were divided into two groups: the long operative time group (n = 105) and the short operative time group (n = 109). Univariate analysis revealed that the male sex, a higher body mass index (BMI, ≥ 24.0 kg/m²), preoperative treatment, a smaller pelvic inlet (< 11.0 cm), a deeper pelvic depth (≥ 10.7 cm) and a shorter intertuberous distance (< 10.1 cm) were significantly correlated with a longer operative time (P < 0.05). However, only BMI (OR 1.893, 95% CI 1.064–3.367, P = 0.030) and pelvic inlet (OR 0.439, 95% CI 0.240–0.804, P = 0.008) were independent predictors of operative time. Moreover, the rate of anastomotic leakage was higher in the long operative time group (P < 0.05).

Laparoscopic rectal resection is expected to take longer to perform in patients with a higher BMI or smaller pelvic inlet.