Mechanical bowel preparation with or without oral antibiotics for rectal resection for cancer (REPCA trial): a study protocol for a multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Background: There is still a lack of randomized trials assessing the clinical value of mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) and oral antibiotics (OA) before rectal surgery. Existing studies are inconsistent regarding OA. The aim of this study is to examine the role of MBP with or without OA (using Alfa Normix) on postoperative complications in patients undergoing rectal resection for cancer.