Objective      To analyze the relative risk factors of elderly patients with abdominoperineal resection for rectal carcinoma.       Methods      The risk factors for hospital death and postoperative complications in 137 elderly patients who had undergone abdominoperineal resection for rectal carcinoma from July 1995 to July 2005 were analyzed retrospectively.       Results      The risk factors included coexistent diseases

hemoglobin level less than 70 g/L

body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 kg/m

2

intraoperative blood loss more than 1 000 ml

operating time longer than 6 h. The relative risk ratio were 4.76

5.85

6.49

5.47

3.90 respectively for hospital death

and 2.02

2.27

1.83

2.01

1.70 fo

r postoperative complications.       Conclusion      The risk factors of the elderly patients with abdominoperineal resection for rectal carcinoma should be considered carefully during the perioperative period.