Medicine and Diet Versus Surgical Pouch for Low Rectal Cancer Surgery

After surgery to remove low rectal cancer, doctors often create a temporary surgical pouch (called a diverting stoma) to protect the surgical connection inside your body while it heals. This trial is testing whether somatostatin — a medication that reduces fluid in your digestive system — combined with a clear liquid diet for 7 days after surgery can work just as well as creating that pouch, while avoiding the complications and quality-of-life effects that come with having one.

While a temporary surgical pouch is effective at preventing serious complications after low rectal cancer surgery, it requires a second operation to close it later, can cause infection and skin problems, and affects daily life and comfort. This trial wants to find out if the medication and diet approach might offer patients the same safety without those extra burdens.