Prevalence of postoperative complications in oncologic gastro-esophageal surgeries: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: This study evaluated the prevalence of complications in the postoperative period of esophagogastric oncological surgeries. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study, adhering to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. The study size implied 163 patients who underwent surgical treatment for esophageal and gastric cancer and experienced postoperative complications between January 2018 and December 2022. These patients were treated at the Liga Norte Riograndense Contra o Câncer, a high-complexity oncology center and a reference for cancer treatment in Northeast Brazil. Results: The prevalence found was 88.3%. The most prevalent complications were Clavien-Dindo I and II, and infection was the most common. According to our statistics analysis, hypoalbuminemia showed a positive correspondence with the occurrence of postoperative complications (odds ratio = 8.60; 95% confidence interval 1.35-54.64, p = 0.0358). Conclusions: Postoperative complications of gastroesophageal surgeries increase patient morbidity and mortality.