Cases of low anterior resection and ileostomy for rectal cancer that required more than 18 months for stoma closure

Laparoscopic surgery is performed worldwide, even for cases of rectal cancer close to the anus, and advances in surgical instruments and techniques have increased the number of cases for which anastomosis can be performed, even those cases for which abdominoperineal resection was performed previously. Consequently, as a measure to avoid complications in the event of suture failure after surgery, the number of cases of establishing diverting stoma has also increased. Diverting ostomy may require a closure operation earlier than planned due to colostomy complications, cases requiring a long period of time until closure due to postoperative complications, and cases in which closure operation cannot be performed. Herein, we report cases that took more than 36 months to allow closure of the diverting stoma.