Rectal Cancer Surgery in Patients Older Than 80 Years: Is Hartmann's Procedure Safe?

The current study aimed to identify the safety and efficacy of Hartmann's procedure (HP) among elderly patients (age ≥80 years) with rectal cancer. Data on surgical outcome, survival rate, and incidence of stoma reversal were retrospectively compared between patients aged over 80 years who underwent anterior resection (AR) and HP. In total, 79 elderly patients underwent rectal cancer surgery. Of these patients, 54 (68.4%) underwent AR and 25 (31.6%) HP. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, nutrient status, and tumor characteristics. Eight (14.8%) patients who underwent AR and six (24.0%) who underwent HP presented with intra-abdominal complications (p=0.35). The overall survival and recurrent-free survival rates between the two groups did not differ. HP for elderly patients with rectal cancer has similar complication rates to AR, and achieved similar oncological outcomes.