Evaluation of the risk factors associated with anastomotic dehiscence in colorectal surgery. Multivariate analysis of 748 pacients

Abstract

Introduction: Anastomotic leakage (AL) is a severe complication in colorectal surgery, its incidence ranges from 2 to 19%. In international literature, we found numerous studies on the identification of risk factors (RF), while in the national there are only two series that analyze this complication.

Aim: Perform a descriptive characterization of institutional results and establish the AL rate, its associated risk factors and mortality.

Materials and Method: Non-concurrent series of cases, whose sample is consecutive patients operated for colorectal pathology with primary anastomosis with or without a derivative ostoma between 2004 and 2016. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression model was performed.

Results: There were 748 patients, 50.5% women, mean age was 56.2. The most frequent surgical indications were colorectal cancer in 381 (50.9%) patients and diverticular disease in 163 (21.8%). The AL was 5.6% (42/748) and the mortality was 2% (15/748), being 1% for the electives (7/681). In the univariate analysis, we found that the RF that had statistical significance were albumin (p < 0.001), anastomosis height (p < 0.001), transfusion (p < 0.001), location (right colon > left) (p = 0.011), while that in the multivariate analysis were albumin (p = 0.002) with an OR 3.64 (IC 95% 1.58-8.35) and transfusion (p = 0.015) with an OR 7.15 (IC 95% 1.46-34.91).

Conclusion: Our series is the largest reported in Chile, with similar results to international and national studies. We establish that hypoalbuminemia and the presence of intraoperative transfusions are associated with a high rate of AL.