Reoperation for early postoperative complications after gastric cancer surgery in a Chinese hospital.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the occurrence of postoperative complications of gastric cancer surgery, and analyze the potential causes of reoperation for early postoperative complications.


METHODS
A total of 1639 patients who underwent radical or palliative gastrectomies for gastric cancer were included in the study. The study endpoint was the analysis of postoperative complications in inpatients.


RESULTS
About 31% of patients had early postoperative complications, and complications of infection occurred most frequently. Intra-abdominal hemorrhage and anastomotic leak were the main causes of reoperation, which accounted for about 2.2%. Mortality was 11.1% in the reoperation group, but was only 0.8% in other patients. The duration of postoperative stay in hospital was significantly longer and the total expenditure was markedly higher in the patients who underwent reoperation (P < 0.001). There was no significant association of any available factors in this study with the high rate of reoperation.


CONCLUSIONS
Reoperation significantly increases the mortality rate and raises the burden of the surgical unit. More prospective studies are required to explore the potential risk factors.
Sah
Birendra Kumar
BK
Department of General Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Shanghai 200025, China.
Chen
Ming-Min
MM
Yan
Min
M
Zhu
Zheng-Gang
ZG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality; D017721:Hospital Costs; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010166:Palliative Care; D012086:Reoperation; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult