The Value of Early Postoperative Colonoscopy in The Early Diagnosis of Anastomotic Leakage After Surgery for Low Colorectal Cancer

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether early postoperative colonoscopy is valuable in the early diagnosis of anastomotic leakage after surgery for low colorectal cancer.The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Will the median diagnosis time of AL in the intervention group (early colonoscopy group) be significantly shorter than that in the control group? 2. Can targeted treatment (such as endoscopic vacuum therapy (EVT)) be initiated earlier in the early colonoscopy group, thereby reducing the incidence of AL and the rate of unplanned re-laparotomy? Researchers will compare the median diagnosis time of AL in the intervention group (early colonoscopy group) with the control group to observe whether early postoperative colonoscopy can detect anastomotic leakage earlier. Participants will: Experimental group (early colonoscopy group): 1. Colonoscopy will be performed on the 5th to 8th day after surgery (the surgeon will decide the specific date within this time window based on the patient's recovery). 2. Carry out adequate intestinal preparation before the examination (the specific plan is formulated according to the hospital's routine, which may involve antegrade or retrograde enema, etc., and needs to be recorded and standardized). Control group (routine observation group): 1. Receive standard postoperative management, including monitoring vital signs, abdominal signs, drainage fluid properties, etc. 2. Only when clinical symptoms suspected of anastomotic leakage occur (such as persistent fever, worsening abdominal pain, turbid drainage fluid or stool samples), CT scan, gastrointestinal angiography or diagnostic colonoscopy should be performed according to clinical indications.

NCT Number	NCT07588386
Lead Sponsor	Nanchong Central Hospital
Conditions	Anastomotic Leakage
Enrollment	140 participants
Start Date	2026-06-21
Primary Completion	2027-06-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-06-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-25