Published in:
01-06-2017
Effect of comorbidities on postoperative complications in patients with gastric cancer after laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy: results from an 8-year experience at a large-scale single center
Published in: Surgical Endoscopy | Issue 6/2017
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Background
Comorbidity is a predictor of postoperative complications in gastrectomy. However, it remains unclear which comorbidities are predictors of postoperative complications in gastric cancer patients who have undergone laparoscopy-assisted total gastrectomy (LATG). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of comorbidities on the surgical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer after LATG.
Methods
We retrospectively collected data on 1657 gastric cancer patients who underwent LATG between January 2008 and December 2015. We investigated the incidences, types, and risk factors for postoperative complications after LATG. Patients were enrolled in analysis to evaluate the effects of comorbidities on postoperative complications.
Results
The number of postoperative complications was associated with the number of comorbidities in the gastric cancer patients according to the operative period. Of the 1657 patients included in this study, 714 (43.1 %) had one or more comorbidities. Postoperative complications occurred in 283 patients (17.1 %), and 6 patients (0.4 %) died during hospitalization. With an increasing number of comorbidities, the incidence of local and systemic complications also increased. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that comorbidity was a predictive risk factor for local complications (OR 1.204, 1.014–1.431) and systemic complications (OR 1.237, 1.039–1.474). Diabetes mellitus, anemia, pulmonary disease, and renal dysfunction were found to be associated with postoperative complications, including abdominal bleeding, anastomotic leakage, and pneumonia.
Conclusions
Our study has revealed that comorbidities could be a predictive risk factor for postoperative complications after LATG. Surgeons should carefully assess patients with full perioperative attention to some specific types of comorbidities.