Body composition in CT as a predictor of major post-operative complications in patients undergoing definitive surgery for intestinal fistulas.

PurposePelvic exenteration (PE) involves radical surgical resection of pelvic organs and is associated with considerable morbidity. Sarcopenia is recognised as a predictor of poor surgical outcomes. This study aimed to determine if preoperative sarcopenia is associated with postoperative complications after PE surgery.MethodsThis retrospective study included patients who underwent PE with an available preoperative CT scan between May 2008 and November 2022 at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and St. Andrews Hospital in South Australia. Total Psoas Area Index (TPAI) was estimated by measuring the cross-sectional area of the psoas muscles at the level of the third lumbar vertebra on abdominal CT, normalised for patient height. Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on gender-specific TPAI cut-off values. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for major postoperative complications with a Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade ≥ 3.ResultsIn total, 128 patients who underwent PE were included, 90 of whom formed the non-sarcopenic group (NSG) and 38 the sarcopenic group (SG). Major postoperative complications (CD grade ≥ 3) occurred in 26 (20.3%) patients. There was no detectable association with sarcopenia and an increased risk of major postoperative complications. Preoperative hypoalbuminemia (P = 0.01) and a prolonged operative time (P = 0.002) were significantly associated with a major postoperative complication on multivariate analysis.ConclusionSarcopenia is not a predictor of major postoperative complications in patients undergoing PE surgery. Further efforts aimed specifically at optimising preoperative nutrition may be warranted.

It is known that various factors, including surgical stress, nutritional deficits and sarcopenia, affect the incidence of postoperative complications. The aim of this study is to identify the predictors of major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥II) after esophageal resection following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Methods Forty-nine patients with esophageal cancer undergoing NAC and surgery between January 2017 and December 2019 were identified from our surgery database and retrospectively analyzed. Onodera prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was used as the indicator of nutritional status. For the evaluation of skeletal muscle mass, computed tomography imaging of the total cross-sectional muscle tissue measured at the third lumbar level defined the skeletal muscle index (SMI). Images were collected before and after NAC. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between various predictors and major postoperative complications. Results Of the Forty-nine patients, 20 patients (40.8%) had major complication after surgery. Of the 20 patients, 5 had pneumonia and 4 had anastomotic leakage. Nine patients (18.3%) complete planned dose of NAC. SMI reduction was observed in 42 patients (85.7%) during NAC. According to univariate analysis, SMI reduction during NAC, and PNI before chemotherapy were significantly associated with major postoperative complications (P = 0.032, P = 0.035, respectively). According to multivariate analysis, SMI reduction during NAC is an independent predictor for the incidence of major postoperative complications (P = 0.0034). Conclusion Skeletal muscle loss during neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be an useful predictor of major postoperative complications in patients with esophageal cancer.

Surgical morbidity of total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign disease: Predictors of major postoperative complications

BackgroundIn search of improvement of patient assessment in the postoperative phase, C-reactive protein (CRP) is increasingly being studied as an early marker for postoperative complications following major abdominal surgery. Several studies reported an attenuated immune response in minimally invasive surgery, which might affect interpretation of postoperative CRP levels. The aim of the present study was to compare the value of CRP as a predictor for major postoperative complications in patients undergoing open versus laparoscopic colorectal surgery.MethodsA subgroup analysis from a randomized clinical trial (LAFA-trial) was performed, including all patients with non-metastasized colorectal cancer. In the LAFA trial, patients were randomized to open or laparoscopic segmental colectomy. In a subgroup of 79 patients of the LAFA trial, postoperative assessment of CRP levels was conducted routinely preoperatively and 1, 2, 24 and 72 h after surgery.ResultsThirty-seven patients were randomized to the open group and 42 patients to the laparoscopic group. Major complications occurred in 19% of laparoscopic procedures and 13.5% of open procedures (p = 0.776). CRP levels rise following surgical procedures. In uncomplicated cases, the rise in CRP levels was significantly lower at 24 and 72 h following laparoscopic resection in comparison to open resection. No differences in CRP levels were observed when comparing open and laparoscopic resection in patients with major complications.ConclusionIn patients with an uncomplicated postoperative course, CRP levels were lower following minimally invasive resection, possibly due to decreased operative trauma. No differences in CRP were observed stratified for surgical technique in patients with major complications. These results suggest that CRP may be applied as a marker for major postoperative complications in both open and minimally invasive colorectal surgery. Future research should aim to assess the role of standardized postoperative CRP measurements.

416 Background: Testicular cancer with retroperitoneal metastases is often treated with chemotherapy, with subsequent post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PC-RPLND) performed for residual masses after chemotherapy. While the cure rate is high, the surgery is associated with significant morbidity. Unlike in other genitourinary cancers, perioperative nutritional optimization is typically not prioritized as most patients are young, otherwise healthy men. Albumin is a systemic marker of nutritional status and has been shown to predict adverse outcomes in other urological cancers. We sought to assess whether preoperative albumin level is associated with postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing PC-RPLND. Methods: A database of patients who received PC-RPLND at our institution between 2007 and 2019 was created. Pre-RPLND albumin was obtained and correlated with postoperative outcomes using univariate and multivariable regression models. The primary outcome was the presence of major (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III) complications within 90 days of surgery. Results: Of 76 patients who underwent PC-RPLND, 70 patients had preoperative albumin values available. The median age (IQR) of patients at the time of surgery was 26 years (22 - 32) and median (IQR) preoperative albumin level was 4.4 g/dL (4.1 - 4.6). Patients with major postoperative complications had lower median preoperative albumin than those without a complication (4.1 g/dL vs. 4.4 g/dL; p = 0.03). Greater albumin level (per g/dL) was associated with a lower risk of major postoperative complications on multivariable logistic regression (OR = 0.12; p = 0.03). Other preoperative serum markers such as hemoglobin and creatinine did not associate with postoperative complications. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that preoperative albumin is an independent predictor of major postoperative complications in patients undergoing PC-RPLND. This finding demonstrates the importance of nutritional optimization even in young, otherwise healthy individuals prior to undergoing this morbid surgery. Additional studies are warranted to more reliably predict which patients may experience complications.

Postoperative complications in adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) significantly escalate healthcare costs and prolong hospital stays. This study endeavors to construct a nomogram that synergizes computed tomography (CT) body composition data with inflammatory-nutritional markers to forecast postoperative complications in ASBO. The study's internal cohort consisted of 190 ASBO patients recruited from October 2017 to November 2021, subsequently partitioned into training (n = 133) and internal validation (n = 57) groups at a 7:3 ratio. An additional external cohort comprised 52 patients. Body composition assessments were conducted at the third lumbar vertebral level utilizing CT images. Baseline characteristics alongside systemic inflammatory responses were meticulously documented. Through univariable and multivariable regression analyses, risk factors pertinent to postoperative complications were identified, culminating in the creation of a predictive nomogram. The nomogram's precision was appraised using the concordance index (C-index) and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Postoperative complications were observed in 65 (48.87%), 26 (45.61%), and 22 (42.31%) patients across the three cohorts, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that nutrition risk score (NRS), intestinal strangulation, skeletal muscle index (SMI), subcutaneous fat index (SFI), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) were independently predictive of postoperative complications. These preoperative indicators were integral to the nomogram's formulation. The model, amalgamating body composition and inflammatory-nutritional indices, demonstrated superior performance: the internal training set exhibited a 0.878 AUC (95% CI, 0.802-0.954), 0.755 accuracy, and 0.625 sensitivity; the internal validation set displayed a 0.831 AUC (95% CI, 0.675-0.986), 0.818 accuracy, and 0.812 sensitivity. In the external cohort, the model yielded an AUC of 0.886 (95% CI, 0.799-0.974), 0.808 accuracy, and 0.909 sensitivity. Calibration curves affirmed a strong concordance between predicted outcomes and actual events. Decision curve analysis substantiated that the model could confer benefits on patients with ASBO. A rigorously developed and validated nomogram that incorporates body composition and inflammatory-nutritional indices proves to be a valuable tool for anticipating postoperative complications in ASBO patients, thus facilitating enhanced clinical decision-making.

PurposeTo evaluate the impact of preoperative anemia on postoperative complications after hip fracture surgery.Patients and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study including hip fracture patients at a teaching hospital between 2005 and 2022. We defined preoperative anemia as the last hemoglobin measurement level before surgery < 130 g/L for men and < 120 g/L for women. The primary outcome was a composite of in-hospital major complications, including pneumonia, respiratory failure, gastrointestinal bleeding, urinary tract infection, incision infection, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, angina pectoris, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and death. Secondary outcomes were cardiovascular events, infection, pneumonia, and death. We used multivariate negative binomial or logistic regression to evaluate the impact of anemia and its severity, categorized as mild (90–130 g/L for men, 90–120 g/L for women) or moderate-to-severe (< 90 g/L for both) anemia on outcomes.ResultsOf the 3540 included patients, 1960 had preoperative anemia. 188 anemic patients experienced 324 major complications, while 63 non-anemic patients had 94 major complications. The risk of major complications was 165.3 (95% CI, 149.5–182.4) and 59.5 (95% CI, 48.9–72.3) per 1000 persons in anemic and non-anemic patients, respectively. Anemic patients were more likely to have major complications than non-anemic patients (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR), 1.87; 95% CI, 1.30–2.72), which was consistent in mild (aIRR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.22–2.59) and moderate-to-severe (aIRR, 2.97; 95% CI, 1.65–5.38) anemia. Preoperative anemia also increased the risk of cardiovascular events (aIRR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.29–3.01), infection (aIRR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.01–2.86), pneumonia (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.91; 95% CI, 1.06–3.57), and death (aOR, 3.17; 95% CI, 1.06–11.89).ConclusionOur findings suggest that even mild preoperative anemia is associated with major postoperative complications in hip fracture patients. This finding highlights considering preoperative anemia as a risk factor in surgical decision-making for high-risk patients.

To determine the relationship between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle measurements on computed tomography (CT) and overall survival and major postoperative complications in patients with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). The retrospective study included 137 STS patients (75 men, 62 women; mean age, 53 years, SD 17.7; mean BMI, 28.5, SD 6.6) who had abdominal CT exams. On a single CT image, at the L4 pedicle level, measurements of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and skeletal muscle area and attenuation were obtained using clinical PACS and specialized segmentation software. Clinical information was recorded, including STS characteristics (size, depth, grade, stage, and site), overall survival, and postoperative complications. The relationships between CT metrics and survival were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models and those between CT metrics and postoperative complications using logistic regression models. There were 33 deaths and 41 major postoperative complications. Measured on clinical PACS, the psoas area (P=0.003), psoas index (P=0.006), psoas attenuation (P=0.011), and total muscle attenuation (P=0.023) were associated with overall survival. Using specialized software, psoas attenuation was also associated with overall survival (P=0.018). Adipose tissue metrics were not associated with survival or postoperative complications. In STS patients, CT-derived muscle size and attenuation are associated with overall survival. These prognostic biomarkers can be obtained using specialized segmentation software or routine clinical PACS.

PurposeThere is a lack of prospective studies evaluating the effects of body composition on postoperative complications after gastrectomy in a Western population with predominantly advanced gastric cancer. MethodsThis is a prospective side study of the LOGICA trial, a multicenter randomized trial on laparoscopic versus open gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Trial patients who received preoperative chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy with an available preoperative restaging abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan were included. The CT scan was used to calculate the mass (M) and radiation attenuation (RA) of skeletal muscle (SM), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). These variables were expressed as Z-scores, depicting how many standard deviations each patient’s CT value differs from the sex-specific study sample mean. Primary outcome was the association of each Z-score with the occurrence of a major postoperative complication (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ 3b). ResultsFrom 2015 to 2018, a total of 112 patients were included. A major postoperative complication occurred in 9 patients (8%). A high SM-M Z-score was associated with a lower risk of major postoperative complications (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.28–0.78, p = 0.004). Furthermore, high VAT-RA Z-scores and SAT-RA Z-scores were associated with a higher risk of major postoperative complications (RR 2.82, 95% CI 1.52–5.23, p = 0.001 and RR 1.95, 95% CI 1.14–3.34, p = 0.015, respectively). VAT-M, SAT-M, and SM-RA Z-scores showed no significant associations. ConclusionPreoperative low skeletal muscle mass and high visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue radiation attenuation (indicating fat depleted of triglycerides) were associated with a higher risk of developing a major postoperative complication in patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy.

BackgroundTo evaluate the prognostic values of GNRI for major postoperative complications in emergency femoral hernia patients.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 105 emergency femoral hernia patients. GNRI was calculated using preoperative body weight, height, and serum albumin. The primary outcome was a composite of major postoperative complications. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between GNRI and major complications. The ability of GNRI in detecting major complications was assessed by area under the curve (AUC).ResultsThe prevalence of low, moderate, and severe nutritional risk was 18.1%, 25.7%, and 10.5%. Five patients (4.8%) had major postoperative complications. Higher GNRI was associated with lower risk of major complications after adjusting for age and sex (aOR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.81-1.00, P = 0.044). The AUC for GNRI identifying major complications was 0.812 (95% CI: 0.640–0.984, P = 0.019), and the optimal cut-point value was 90.96 (sensitivity: 80.0%; specificity: 72.0%).ConclusionsGNRI is significantly associated with major postoperative complications. It is a simple and useful prognostic tool for femoral hernia patients in emergency settings.

The aim of this study was to establish a validated nomogram to predict risk factors for major post-operative complications in patients with rectal cancer (RC) by analyzing the factors contributing to major post-operative complications in RC patients. We retrospectively collected baseline and surgical information on patients who underwent RC surgery between December 2012 and December 2022 at a single-center teaching hospital. The entire cohort was randomly divided into two subsets (60% of the data for development, 40% for validation). Independent risk factors for major post-operative complications were identified using multivariate logistic regression analyses, and predictive models were developed. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) to assess predictive probability, calibration curves were plotted to compare the predicted probability of the nomogram with the actual probability, and the clinical efficacy of the nomogram was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA). Our study included 3151 patients who underwent radical surgery for RC, including 1892 in the development set and 1259 in the validation set. Forty (2.1%) patients in the development set and 26 (2.1%) patients in the validation set experienced major post-operative complications. Through multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (p<0.01, OR=1.044, 95% CI=1.016-1.074), pre-operative albumin (p<0.01, OR=0.913, 95% CI=0.866-0.964), and open surgery (p<0.01, OR=2.461, 95% CI=1.284-4.761) were identified as independent risk factors for major post-operative complications in RC, and a nomogram prediction model was established. The AUC of the ROC plot for the development set was 0.7161 (95% Cl=0.6397-0.7924), and the AUC of the ROC plot for the validation set was 0.7191 (95% CI=0.6182-0.8199). The predicted probabilities in the calibration curves were highly consistent with the actual probabilities, which indicated that the prediction model had good predictive ability. The DCA also confirmed the good clinical performance of the nomogram. In this study, a validated nomogram containing three predictors was created to identify risk factors for major complications after radical RC surgery. Due to its accuracy and convenience, it could contribute to personalized management of patients in the perioperative period.

An intraoperative 10-point Surgical Apgar Score, based on estimated blood loss, lowest mean arterial pressure, and lowest heart rate, was developed and validated for predicting postoperative complications in patients undergoing vascular and general surgeries. We sought to estimate the ability of this metric to predict major postoperative complications in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing the Whipple procedure. This is a prospective, observational, single-centre study involving adult patients undergoing the Whipple procedure, at a major tertiary cancer centre. All eligible patients undergoing Whipple surgery in our institute between March 2018 and October 2021 were included in the study. Demographic data, clinicopathological characteristics, comorbidities, intraoperative variables, and postoperative complications were analyzed. The surgical score was calculated from intraoperative blood loss, lowest heart rate, and lowest mean arterial pressure. All the patients were followed up till 30 days postoperatively. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analyses were used as appropriate. The occurrence of major postoperative complications represented the primary outcome. A total of 253 patients were analyzed. The mean duration of surgery was 436 min. On statistical analyses, the occurrence of major postoperative complications was significantly associated with SAS ≤ 4 (OR = 8.00, 95% CI = 3.78–16.93, p = 0.000), use of intraoperative vasopressor (OR = 2.247, 95% CI = 1.312–3.846, p = 0.003), and body mass index (BMI) (OR = 1.074, 95% CI = 1.010–1.142, p = 0.022). However, we did not find any significant association between other demographic variables like age, comorbidities, duration of surgery, and preoperative s. albumin with the occurrence of postoperative complications. Lower SAS (≤ 4) is the most powerful predictor of postoperative complications in pancreatic cancer patients undergoing Whipple surgery. The score provides a simple and immediate means of measuring and communicating patient outcomes, using data routinely available in any setting.

Assessing intraoperative hemodynamics with Surgical Apgar Score (SAS) and preoperative nutritional status with the Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score are said to be useful to predict postoperative complications in many surgical services, but little is reported in the field of spinal surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of SAS and the CONUT score for predicting the risk of major postoperative complications after spinal surgery. We included 659 people who undergone spinal surgery in our institute in eight consecutive years. The occurrence of postoperative major complications was investigated. Background clinical information, surgical information including the SAS and the CONUT score, and the length of postoperative hospital stay were collected. The risk factors of postoperative complications were assessed statistically. Complications occurred in 117 cases (17.8%). The multivariate analysis showed that history of diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 1.81: P = 0.035), coronary disease (OR 3.33; P = 0.009), American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (OR 1.71; P = 0.025), use of instruments (OR 2.07; P = 0.026), operation time (OR 1.30; P < 0.001), SAS (OR 0.59; P < 0.001), and CONUT (OR 1.34; P < 0.001) were independent risk factors of major complications after spinal surgery. Assessing the intraoperative hemodynamics with SAS and preoperative nutritional status with the CONUT score was useful in predicting major postoperative complications after spinal surgery. People who are detected as high risked people should be managed carefully after spinal surgery.

Frailty and malnutrition as predictors of major complications following posterior thoracolumbar fusion in elderly patients: a retrospective cohort study

Background and Aims Sarcopenia is a prognostic factor of outcomes for various diseases, but reports on sarcopenia in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are few. We aim to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and assess the role of sarcopenia in postoperative complications in patients with CD at a tertiary referral center. Methods Patients who underwent intestinal surgery for CD from January 2013 to October 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. The L3 skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was used to identify sarcopenia. Demographic data, preoperative laboratory data, surgical details, and hospital outcomes were recorded. The factors associated with postoperative complications were evaluated through univariate and multivariate analyses. Results One hundred and twenty-four patients were enrolled. Thirty-four of them (27.4%), including 11 males, were diagnosed with sarcopenia. Compared with patients without sarcopenia, sarcopenic patients had a significantly lower BMI (P < 0.001); lower preoperative serum albumin (P = 0.006), prealbumin (P = 0.030), and hemoglobin levels (P < 0.001); longer hospital stay (34.4 ± 26.8 days vs. 22.8 ± 15.6 days, P = 0.003); and more occurrences of complications (41.2% vs. 23.3%, P = 0.049). The overall incidence of postoperative complications was 28.2%. Infection (51.4%) and intestinal fistula (22.9%) were the most common among such complications. Through the multivariate analysis, sarcopenia was identified as an independent risk factor for major postoperative complications (odds ratio = 3.974, 95%CI = 1.171–13.489, P = 0.027). Conclusion Sarcopenia is common in patients with CD requiring bowel resection, and it significantly increases the risk of major postoperative complications.