List of gastrectomy complications

    Intraoperative complications

  1. Unintended intraoperative damage to major vessels and/or organs requiring reconstruction or resection
  2. Intraoperative bleeding requiring urgent treatment
  3. Unexpected medical conditions interrupting or changing the planned procedure
  4. Postoperative general complications

  5. Stroke causing patient’s permanent deficit
  6. Need for CPR
  7. Myocardial infarction with patient’s transfer to CCU/ICU/other critical care facility
  8. Cardiac dysrhythmia requiring invasive treatment
  9. Acute myocardial failure with acute pulmonary edema or drop in EF > 50%
  10. Pulmonary embolism with symptoms confirmed by urgent CT scan
  11. Need for prolonged intubation (> 24 hours after the surgical procedure)
  12. Respiratory failure requiring reintubation
  13. Need for tracheostomy
  14. Pleural effusion requiring drainage
  15. Pneumothorax requiring treatment
  16. Acute liver dysfunction (the Child-Pugh score > 8 for longer than 48 hours)
  17. Acute renal insufficiency (postoperative creatinine twice its preoperative value)/renal failure requiring CVVH or dialysis
  18. Infections (gastrointestinal, respiratory, urinary, or other) with both symptoms and germ isolation
  19. Postoperative surgical complications

  20. Postoperative bleeding requiring both urgent transfusions and invasive treatment
  21. Postoperative bowel obstruction (clinical/radiological signs of obstruction, inability to enteral feed, longer need for NG suction)
  22. Postoperative bowel perforation or necrosis requiring surgical treatment (or cause of death)
  23. Duodenal leak (irrespective of presentation, method of identification, clinical consequences, and treatment)
  24. Anastomotic leak (irrespective of presentation, method of identification, clinical consequences, and treatment)
  25. Postoperative pancreatic fistula
  26. Postoperative pancreatitis diagnosed both clinically and radiologically
  27. Other postoperative abnormal fluid from drainage and/or abdominal collections without gastrointestinal leak(s) preventing drainage removal or requiring treatment
  28. Delayed gastric emptying (by 10th postoperative day) requiring treatment or delaying discharge
  29. Other major complications requiring re-intervention or other invasive procedures

CPR indicates cardiopulmonary resuscitation; CCU, coronary care unit; ICU, intensive care unit; EF, ejection fraction; CVVH, continuous veno-venous hemofiltration; NG, nasogastric.