Introduction: Serum levels of procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein (CRP) have been used to predict anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery, but information is scarce in advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) surgery with bowel resection. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of procalcitonin and CRP in detecting anastomotic leakage after AOC surgery with bowel resection. The study also aimed to determine the optimal postoperative reference values and the best day for evaluating these markers.Material and methods: This prospective, observational and multicentric trial included 92 patients with AOC undergoing debulking surgery with bowel resection between 2017 and 2020 in 10 reference hospitals in Spain. Procalcitonin and CRP levels were measured at baseline and on postoperative days 1–6. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive value of procalcitonin and CRP at each postoperative day. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were calculated.Results: Anastomotic leakage was detected in six patients (6.5%). Procalcitonin and CRP values were consistently higher in patients with anastomotic leakage at all postoperative days. The maximum area under the curve (AUC) for procalcitonin was observed at postoperative day 1 (AUC = 0.823) with a cutoff value of 3.8 ng/mL (83.3% sensitivity, 81.3% specificity). For CRP, the maximum AUC was found at postoperative day 3 (AUC = 0.833) with a cutoff level of 30.5 mg/dL (100% sensitivity, 80.4% specificity).Conclusions: Procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein are potential biomarkers for early detection of anastomotic leakage after ovarian cancer surgery with bowel resection. Further prospective studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm these findings.
Background/Objectives: An incisional hernia (IH) is a frequent postoperative complication after cytoreductive laparotomic surgery for advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). It occurs in 2–22% of patients in the first two years of follow-up, depending on the series. Although different risk factors have been described for various types of malignancies and surgeries, few studies have analyzed the risk factors for hernia development in ovarian cancer (OC). However, none have examined the role of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs. Methods: We performed a retrospective study that included patients with AOC and primary or interval debulking surgery through a median laparotomic approach. This study was conducted in Vall d’Hebron Hospital, Barcelona, Spain, between January 2015 and December 2022. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. Results: Of the 156 patients included, 30 (19.2%) presented with an IH. The patients with IHs were smokers in a higher proportion to non-smokers (53.9% vs. 16.1%, p = 0.003) and more frequently presented with wound dehiscence (34.4% vs. 15.0%, p = 0.026). Patients in whom negative pressure wound therapy was applied had a hernia less frequently than those who had not had it (12.5% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.043). Similarly, the incidence of hernia decreased when patients went through an ERAS protocol (10.1% vs. 28.8%, p = 0.008). In the multivariate analysis, smoking was the only independent risk factor (RR 10.84, CI 2.76–42.64), and applying an ERAS protocol was seen to be the sole protective factor (RR 0.22, CI 0.08–0.61) against the development of an IH. Conclusions: The implementation of ERAS is highly recommended due to its numerous benefits, most notably the reduction in hernia incidence. Additionally, the preoperative identification of current smokers provides an opportunity for smoking cessation and targeted respiratory prehabilitation, both of which further contribute to IH reduction.
20 May 2024 in Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology