Objective To explore the incidence of low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)in patients undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer and analyze related factors.Methods This study was a cross-sectional survey.From 2021 to 2023,convenience sampling was used to select 195 patients with rectal cancer who underwent sphincter-preserving surgery at Peking University Third Hospital as participants.The patients were surveyed using the General Information Questionnaire,LARS Scale,Visual Analog Score,and Chinese version of Insomnia Severity Index.Results A total of 195 questionnaires were distributed,and 156 valid questionnaires were collected,with a valid response rate of 80.00%(156/195).The incidence of LARS in 156 rectal cancer patients with sphincter-preserving surgery was 36.54%(57/156),and the incidence of severe LARS was 15.38%(24/156).Binomial Logistic regression analyses showed that gender(OR=0.445,P=0.034)and preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(OR=6.343,P<0.01)were influencing factors for the occurrence of LARS in patients with rectal cancer after sphincter-preserving surgery.Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy(OR=3.322,P=0.047)and intraoperative prophylactic stoma(OR=4.855,P=0.035)were influencing factors for severe LARS.LARS score was positively correlated with anxiety score(r=0.238,P=0.003)and total insomnia score(r=0.168,P=0.036)in patients with rectal cancer who underwent sphincter-preserving surgery.Conclusions Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is an independent risk factor for postoperative LARS and severe LARS in rectal cancer patients undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery.LARS is correlated with patients'anxiety and insomnia.