Impaired Handgrip Strength Does Not Predict Postoperative Morbidity in Major Hepatobiliary Surgery

Assessment of preoperative handgrip strength (HGS) is an objective and inexpensive bedside tool, which has been investigated to predict morbidity risk in elective surgery. However, its use is not validated in patients undergoing major elective hepatobiliary surgery (MEHS). The aim of this study is to investigate the use of HGS to predict morbidity in patients undergoing MEHS.

This is a single-center prospective study involving 81 patients who underwent MEHS over 21 mo from July 2014 to March 2016. MEHS was defined as any hepatobiliary surgery expected to last more than 2 h and/or with an anticipated blood loss of ≥500 mL. HGS was assessed in both dominant and nondominant hands with standardization and subsequently recorded and expressed as a percentage of a general, age- and gender-matched normative values.

The mean age was 65.2 ± 9.5 y with male predominance (n = 52, 64.2%). Approximately, half of the patients underwent liver resection (n = 43, 53.1%). There was no difference in the incidence of Clavien-Dindo ≥ grade IIIA in both dominant HGS (impaired HGS 8/33 [24.2%], normal HGS 6/48 [12.5%]; P = 0.170) and nondominant HGS (impaired HGS 8/33 [21.1%], normal HGS 6/43 [14%]; P = 0.399). Dominant and nondominant HGS showed poor discriminatory ability in the prediction of Clavien-Dindo ≥ grade IIIA complications (dominant HGS area under the curve [AUC] = 0.572; nondominant HGS AUC 0.545). However, the use of dominant HGS showed moderate discriminatory ability to predict the length of hospital stay ≥21 d (AUC = 0.759).

The use of HGS may not predict Clavien-Dindo ≥ grade IIIA complications, but predicts a prolonged length of hospital stay ≥21 d.