ABSTRACT

Postoperative complications after abdominal operations is affected by many factors. The aim of this study was to identify factors that predict complications in abdominal operations.

461 patients who had undergone abdominal operations at our clinic were prospectively researched. In this study age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade of the patients and timing of surgery (elective or emergency), concomittant disease, type of operation, hospital stay and the mortality were examined.

The overall complication rate was 23%. Significantly higher complication occurred in male patients than female patients (30% vs 17.1%) (p<0.05). While the complication rate of the patients undergone emergent operation was 35.2%, the complication rate of the patients undergone elective operation was 18%(p<0.05). Significant differences between the age groups were observed for general postoperative complications (16.8% for 0-59 years 33.1% for 60-74 years, and 35.7% for over 75 years). The concomittant disease and timing of operation had a significant effect on complication (p<0.05). The median ASA score of the complication group was 3, the other group was 2 (p<0.05). Hospital stay was 19.6±12 in the complication group and the other group’s hospital stay was 7.1±6 (p<0.05). The mortality rate of our patients was 6.7%.

Age older than 60 years old, ASA grade, concomittant disease, timing of operation, severity of operation are associated with the progressing of the complications after abdominal operations. Male gender is also associated with the incerasing complication rate.

Keywords: Mortality, morbidity, abdominal operation