Improvement of low anterior resection syndrome beyond 2 years after total mesorectal excision

Aim Bowel dysfunction after sphincter‐preserving proctectomy, also known as low anterior resection syndrome (LARS), has significant impact on survivors of rectal cancer. This study aimed to assess the temporal change of LARS beyond 2 years after proctectomy, which has not been fully studied. Methods We longitudinally enrolled consecutive patients who had received total mesorectal excision in a tertiary academic medical center, with preoperative neoadjuvant therapy if indicated. LARS score was longitudinally assessed by two serial follow‐ups, with a fixed interval of 18 months. Results Overall, 107 patients responded for the first follow‐up after a median of q20 months, 96 of whom responded for the second follow‐up after a median of 38 months. At the first follow‐up, 48 patients (44.9%) reported major LARS, compared with 23 (24.0%) at the second follow‐up (p