Our Experience With Left Colon and Rectal Cancer Surgery and the Impact of Preoperative Sarcopenia on Complication Rates

Background: Evidence about the importance of sarcopenia in patients operated on for gastrointestinal cancers and that it may have both early and long-term impacts is expanding. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of sarcopenia on the outcomes of the patients we operated on for left colon and rectum cancer. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the electronic records of 38 patients operated on for left colon and rectal cancer between 2010 and 2020, and demographic variables, clinical stages, laboratory tests, body mass index (BMI), psoas muscle index (PMI), pathological stages, and Dindo Clavien complication scores were interpreted. We also assigned our patients into two groups according to their preoperative PMI values. We compared the first group of 12 patients with preoperative sarcopenia with the second group of 26 patients without preoperative sarcopenia. Results: Of the 38 patients who underwent curative surgery for left colon and rectal cancer, 20 were female and 18 were male. The median age of the group was 59.9 years. The most common tumour localization was in the rectosigmoid region in 17 patients, and the tumour in 6 patients was in the left colon. Therapy had been initiated with neoadjuvant treatment in 19 patients. At the preoperative evaluation, sarcopenia was present in 12 patients. Thirty-four patients underwent robot-assisted surgery. Postoperative pathologies were reported as stage 3 in 15 patients. Complications were reported in 17 patients, and nine were minor (Dindo-Clavien score < 3), but in eight patients, they were moderate to severe (Dindo-Clavien score ≥ 3). When the first group, 12 patients with preoperative sarcopenia, and the second group, 26 patients without preoperative sarcopenia, were compared, the patients with sarcopenia were found to be older (p=0.001), and male patients were in the majority (p=0.017). The postoperative follow-up of 12 patients with preoperative sarcopenia revealed that 7 (58.8%) had complications. Complications were observed in 10 (38.4%) patients in the second group. When the two groups were compared, the risk of developing complications was significantly higher in the sarcopenia group (p=0.016). Only one patient in the first group had moderate to severe complications, but seven patients without sarcopenia had moderate to severe complications. Conclusion: Our study revealed that many patients we have operated on for left colon and rectal cancer have preoperative sarcopenia for which we should care. The sarcopenia rate was higher in males and elderly patients, and the risk of overall postoperative complications increased significantly in patients with preoperative sarcopenia. In consequence, the results of our study provide evidence that preoperative sarcopenia status is an important parameter to determine the risk status of the patient, and patients with preoperative sarcopenia should be monitored more closely. Thus, we may be able to diagnose and intervene early in the complications.