[Complications of surgery in cirrhosis]

Extraabdominal operations are relatively well tolerated by the cirrhotic patient. However abdominal and thoracic surgery are followed by a very high morbidity and a mortality reaching 50% in these patients. Aggravating factors such as a decompensated cirrhosis and an alcoholic or viral hepatitis bear a catastrophic prognosis. The decision to perform surgery should as much as possible imply a knowledge of the histological nature of the cirrhosis and an intensive pre-operative preparation of the patient particularly in the respiratory and cardiac field.