Determinants of surgical morbidity in gastric cancer: experience of a single center and literature review

Background:This study aimed to evaluate the severity of intraoperative and post-operative complications of gastric cancer surgery and to investigate the predictive factors correlated to surgical morbidity.Methods:We included 145 patients operated for gastric cancer. We investigated the risk factors associated with complications, length of hospital stay, operative time, and intraoperative blood transfusion (BT). Significant risk factors were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis.Results:Postoperative complications occurred in 32 patients (22.1 %) and the rate of major complications was 7.6%. The rate of anastomotic fistula was 6.9% and was correlated to diabetes, tumor size, operative time, surgical margin, and extended lymphadenectomy. The mean risk factors for postoperative morbidity were the presence of comorbidities and ASA score (p = 0.021), intraoperative BT (p = 0.045) and prolonged operative time (p = 0.055).Conclusion:Surgical morbidity of gastric cancer is correlated to the extent of resection as well as the clinical and histological characteristics.