ABSTRACT
When total mesorectal excision (TME) is performed, with a very low division of the muscle tube to enable re-anastomosis, most surgeons would elect to use a proximal defunctioning stoma to reduce the consequences and possibly the incidence of anastomotic leakage. It has been well reported that when a low rectal anastomosis is performed (by definition, less than 7 cm from the anal verge on rigid sigmoidoscopy), then the risk of an anastomotic leak rises significantly; the lower the anastomosis, the higher the risk.1
