Short-term complications in elderly patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC: A single center's initial experience

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a well-established curative treatment for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from colorectal cancer (CRC) and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). The study's aim was to present a single center's initial experience with CRS and HIPEC and report the postoperative morbidity in elderly patients.

A retrospective observational study was conducted of all patients with peritoneally disseminated colorectal cancer or pseudomyxoma peritonei undergoing CRS and HIPEC between March 2014 and March 2017. Patient characteristics and the peri- and postoperative course were reviewed. Elderly patients were defined as those aged ≥ 65 years. Postoperative complications were classified according to the Serious Adverse Event (SAE) grading system.

122 patients undergoing CRS and HIPEC were split into two groups based on age (< 65 years versus ≥ 65 years) at the time of surgery. Both groups were comparable for ASA score, Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI), procedure time and blood loss. Serious Adverse Event (SAE) grade > 3 morbidity was 26.7% in the elderly group as opposed to 10.4% in the younger group (p = 0.034). Both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age was a significant risk factor (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.1-9.4, p = 0.033) for severe postoperative morbidity (SAE > 3).

This retrospective study showed advanced age to be a significant risk factor for SAE > 3, after undergoing CRS and HIPEC. The initial institutional experience resembles previously published literature in terms of severe postoperative morbidity in elderly patients.