The Risk of Postoperative Complications after Gastric Cancer

Risk management is becoming an increasingly important healthcare issue. Gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy is still the mainstay of treatment for localized gastric cancer, but it is sometimes associated with postoperative complications that compromise the patient?s quality of life, tolerability of adjuvant treatment, and prognosis. Parameters based exclusively on preoperative factors can identify patients most at risk of postoperative complications, whereby surgeons can provide the patient with precise informed consent information and optimal perioperative management. Ultimately, these predictive tools can also help minimize medical costs. In this context, many studies have identified factors that predict postoperative complications, including indicators based on body constitution, nutrition, inflammation, organ function and hypercoagulation. This review presents our current understanding and discusses some future perspectives of preoperatively identified factors predictive of complications after resection for gastric cancer.