Types and implications of abdominal fluid collections following gastric cancer surgery

AbstractBackground: Little data are available for abscess and non-abscess abdominal fluid collections (AFCs) after gastric cancer surgery and their clinical implications. We sought to analyse the natural history of such collections in a population of patients subject to routine postoperative imaging.Methods: From 1996 to 2012, 1381 patients underwent gastric resections and routine postoperative monitoring with abdominal ultrasound. As a unit protocol, examinations were carried out in all patients prior to drain removal, immediately before discharge, and at follow-up visits.Results: AFCs were diagnosed in 134 (9.7%) patients after a median time from surgery of 7 days (interquartile range [IQR] 5-11 days). Sixty-four of the 134 AFCs (48%) were asymptomatic and resolved spontaneously after a median follow-up of 26.5 days (IQR 14-91 days). Seventy (52%) AFCs required interventional drainage. A stepwise logistic regression model demonstrated that interventional treatment was much more likely among patients wit...