title: Why the postoperative mortality rate of gastric cancer is lower in our center?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There was obvious disparity in postoperative mortality rate of gastric cancer surgery among different centers. We analyzed the postoperative complications of gastric cancer surgery at a pioneer surgical center in China and discussed the possible reason behind lower postoperative mortality rate at this center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 697 patients of gastric cancer surgery were analyzed. The median age of the patients was 58 years. POSSUM (Physiological and operative severity score for the enumeration of morbidity and mortality) was applied to calculate risk adjusted morbidity rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 82 percent patients were discharged uneventfully in less than 15 days after surgery. Overall 159 patients had postoperative complications, majority of complication were mild or moderate, only about 4 percent of patients had severe complications. Postoperative anastomotic leak and mortality rate was 1.3 and 0.3 percent respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The postoperative complications especially the mortality rate was significantly lower in our center. The clinical and surgical experience may have influenced the surgical outcome; however, a well controlled prospective study is necessary to postulate this assumption. Regardless of the reason behind the disparity in postoperative mortality rate among different centers, it is mandatory to minimize the postoperative mortality rate of oncological disease like gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Rui Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chen Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Birendra Kumar
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Sah
authors.forename: Yao Xue
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Yang Qiu
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Zhu Zheng
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Gang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult