Association between anastomotic leak after rectal resection and bowel dysfunction, a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.

Based on low to moderate certainty evidence, anastomotic leak after colorectal and coloanal anastomoses was significantly associated with an increased risk of low anterior resection syndrome, particularly major low anterior resection syndrome, urgency and higher low anterior resection syndrome and Wexner/Cleveland Clinic Florida-Fecal Incontinence Scores.