title: Benefit of rectal washout for anterior resection and left sided resections.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness of rectal wash out in preventing local recurrence for patients who undergo anterior resection for recto-sigmoid cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A best evidence topic was constructed according to a structured protocol. Medline 1948-2015 and EMBASE 1980 to 2015 using the OVID interface: ( Rectal) AND (Washout) AND (Anterior Resection). In addition, the reference lists of the relevant papers were searched.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight papers among the 17 relevant articles were identified as representing the best evidence including 3 prospective non-randomized studies, 1 retrospective non randomized study and 4 meta-analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On the basis of current evidence, rectal washout does not stop local recurrence of cancer after anterior resection or left sided colonic resection, but it may reduce the rate of local recurrence. A randomised controlled trial to address this issue would formally answer this question.
authors.affiliation: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Najaf
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Siddiqi
authors.affiliation: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.affiliation: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Zafar
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.affiliation: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farooq
authors.affiliation: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Amjad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parvaiz
mesh_terms: D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Anterior resection; Left sided-resections; Rectal washout