Pancreatectomy and Body Mass Index: an International Evaluation of Cumulative Postoperative Complications Using the Comprehensive Complications Index

Background: Overweight and obese patients undergoing pancreatectomy are at increased risk for postoperative complications and readmission. We examined the association between body mass index (BMI) and postoperative complications following major pancreatectomy using the novel Comprehensive Complications Index (CCI), which analyzes the impact of multiple surgical complications rather than just the most severe.

Methods: We performed a retrospective dual institutional international review of 500 consecutive patients who underwent pancreatic resection and assessed the association of BMI with postoperative complications using the CCI and Clavien-Dindo Classification (CDC) with uni- and multivariable analyses.

Results: Overweight and obese patients undergoing pancreatic resection demonstrated a higher incidence and severity of CCI-measured complications (29.3 vs. 21.1, P < 0.001), more pancreatic fistulae (15.4 vs. 8.8%, 95% CI 1.005 -1.902), and an increased 30-day readmission rate (21.1 vs. 12.1%, 95% CI 1.067 -1.852) (all p < 0.05) than normal-BMI patients. The CCI was a more sensitive marker of post-pancreatectomy complications relative to the CDC, with a higher multicomplication rate in overweight/obese patients (54.8% vs. 44.5%).

Conclusion: Patients with overweight and obese body mass index undergoing major pancreatectomy demonstrated higher rates of postoperative complications, pancreatic fistulae, and readmissions. The CCI is a more robust and sensitive tool to assess post-pancreatectomy complications than the CDC.