Abstract
BACKGROUND: Surgery is associated with a high risk for morbidity and mortality, particularly when performed in critical patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate risk factors associated with adverse outcomes in a large cohort of patients admitted to a single-center ICU after abdominal surgery. METHODS: All patients admitted to a surgical ICU for postoperative care, from January 2016 to December 2022, were retrospectively evaluated. Data concerning demographics and clinical and perioperative variables were compared to in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: A total of 1,717 patients (1,096 women, mean age: 61±17 years) were evaluated. Most of the patients underwent colorectal (n=499), pancreatic (n=148), biliary tract (n=147), and gastric surgeries (n=145); liver resection (n=131); and several gynecological or obstetric procedures (n=250). Only 52.3% of these surgical procedures were elective. The mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) scores were 4.4±2.8 and 10.1±5.6, respectively. Mortality was observed in 158 (9.2%) patients. Age (70.4±14.3 vs. 60.6±17.1 years in survivors, p=0.002), CCI (6.1±2.5 vs. 4.3±2.8 in survivors, p=0.005), type of surgery (13.6% in emergent/urgent vs. 5.5% in elective surgeries, p<0.001), and APACHE II score (16.7±8.4 vs. 9.4±4.7 in survivors, p<0.0001) were associated with mortality on univariate analysis, but only CCI, type of surgery, and APACHE II score were independently correlated with a higher risk of death on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality after abdominal surgery in patients requiring postoperative ICU support is less than 10% nowadays, and it is independently associated with urgent or emergent surgeries, disease severity, and comorbidity.