[Morbidity and fatality of surgery for stomach cancer. Results of a prospective study on the importance of various risk factors].

A total of 172 patients with cancer of the stomach presenting between 1986 and 1990 were entered into a prospective study. Total gastrectomy including extended lymph node dissection and splenectomy was done in 84 patients, simply gastrectomy in 28, resection in 29, and other operative procedures with no resection in 31 patients. Postoperative morbidity rates were 38%, 21%, 17% and 26%, respectively, with 16% surgical and 24% nonsurgical complications, mainly pulmonary. Important parameters proved to be extensive resections such as extended total gastrectomy, intraoperative blood loss and general physical condition (ASA I/II 24%, ASA III 34%). Total gastrectomy can be performed even in geriatric patients (greater than 70 years), although these patients had a clearly higher morbidity rate (48% vs. 35%) after extended procedures, the mortality rate not being increased. The overall mortality rate was 3.5%.