Long-term oncological outcomes of low anterior resection for rectal cancer with and without preservation of the left colic artery: a retrospective cohort study

Table 3 Pathology Outcomes

	HL (n = 295)	LL (n = 221)	P value
Distal margin: cm	2.7 ± 0.8	2.6 ± 0.7	0.429
Number of lymph nodes harvested	17.0 ± 6.6	18.8 ± 9.6	0.111
Number of stage III positive lymph nodes	4.0 ± 1.9	3.9 ± 1.9	0.810
Tumor TNM ^a staging			0.807
I	39 (13.2)	26 (11.8)
II	126 (42.7)	92 (41.6)
III	130 (44.1)	103 (46.6)

ISSN: 1471-2407