Sarcopenia is an effective prognostic indicator of postoperative outcomes in laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy

Abstract Background The association between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes in patients who undergo laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy is unclear. We aimed to determine the predictive value of sarcopenia for adverse postoperative outcomes after laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Materials and methods We prospectively collected the clinical data of patients who underwent elective radical laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer in two large centers from August 2014 to October 2017. The third lumbar vertebra skeletal muscle index, handgrip strength, and 6-m usual gait speed were measured to diagnose sarcopenia. Subsequently, we aimed to identify the risk factors for postoperative complications. Results The study included 313 patients and 37 (11.8%) patients were classified as sarcopenic. Compared with non-sarcopenic patients, sarcopenic patients were significantly older (P  Conclusion Sarcopenia is an independent clinical predictor of short-term postoperative complications after laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy.