title: Duodenal stump fistula after gastric surgery for malignancies: a retrospective analysis of risk factors in a single centre experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Duodenal stump fistula (DSF) is the most severe surgical complication after gastrectomy. This study was designed to assess the incidence, to observe the consequences, and to identify the risk factors associated with DSF after gastrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  All procedures involving total or sub-total gastrectomy for cancer, performed between January 1987 and June 2012 in a single institution, were prospectively entered into a computerized database. Risk factors analysis was performed between DSF patients, patients with complete uneventful postoperative course and patients with other major surgical complications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over this 25 years period, 1287 gastrectomies were performed. DSF was present in 32 cases (2.5 %). Mean post-operative onset was 6.6 days. 19 patients were treated conservatively and 13 surgically. Mean DSF healing time was 31.2 and 45.2 days in the two groups, respectively. Mortality was registered in 3 cases (9.37 %), due to septic shock (2 cases) and bleeding (1 case). In monovariate analysis, heart disease (p < 0.001), pre-operative lymphocytes number (p = 0.003) and absence of manual reinforcement over duodenal stump (p < 0.001) were found to be DSF-specific risk factors, whereas liver cirrhosis (p = 0.002), pre-operative albumin levels (p < 0.001) and blood losses (p = 0.002) were found to be non-DSF-specific risk factors. In multivariate analysis heart disease (OR 5.18; p < 0.001), liver cirrhosis (OR 13.2; p < 0.001), bio-humoral nutritional status impairment (OR 2.29; p = 0.05), blood losses >300 mL (OR 4.47; p = 0.001) and absence of manual reinforcement over duodenal stump (OR 30.47; p < 0.001) were found to be independent risk factors for DSF development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Duodenal stump fistula still remains a life-threatening complication after gastric surgery. Co-morbidity factors, nutritional status impairment and surgical technical difficulties should be considered as important risk factors in developing this awful complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orsenigo
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bissolati
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Socci
authors.forename: Damiano
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chiari
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muffatti
authors.forename: Jacopo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nifosi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Staudacher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007412:Intestinal Fistula / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*