Operative mortality following surgery for colorectal cancer

From 1973 to 1986 at the Baviere Hospital, University of Liège, 476 patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancers. The overall operative mortality rate was 13.4 per cent. The following postoperative life-threatening complications occurred: myocardial infarction (14 per cent of the postoperative deaths) during the first three postoperative days; bronchopneumonia (27 per cent of the postoperative deaths) mainly during the first postoperative week; pulmonary embolism (17 per cent of the postoperative deaths) mainly during the second postoperative week; anastomotic leakage and cerebrovascular accident (14 and 8 per cent of the postoperative deaths respectively) mainly during the third and fourth postoperative weeks. Specific risk factors were chronic obstructive airways disease associated with a higher incidence of postoperative bronchopneumonia, and previous myocardial infarction associated with postoperative myocardial infarction and pulmonary embolism. General risk factors were old age and emergency procedure, both of which were associated with a higher incidence of infectious complications. The operative mortality rate fell from 20.1 per cent in the 1973-79 period to 7.8 per cent in the 1980-86 period.