Reoperation for early postoperative complications after gastric cancer surgery in a Chinese hospital

AIM: 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. CONCLUSION: 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. (C) 2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.