Onset factors of infective and non-infective complications in perioperative gastrointestinal cancer patients

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the causes of post-surgical infective and non-infective complications and to examine the possibility of physical therapy for preventing postoperative complications in gastrointestinal cancer patients. [Participants and Methods] The study participants were 119 perioperative gastrointestinal cancer patients [69 males and 50 females, aged 62.2 ± 11.2 years (mean ± standard deviation)] classified into three groups according to whether they had infective complications, non-infective complications, or the absence of complications. Data on onset factors for complications, basic information, surgical information, biochemical data, respiratory function, physical function, physique, and body composition were collected from a previous study. [Results] In the group with onset factors of infective complications, blood loss, the C-reactive protein level on the third postoperative day, and the forced expiratory volume % in 1 second were found to be significant explanatory variables. In the group with onset factors of non-infective complications, surgical time was detected as a significant explanatory variable. [Conclusion] In gastrointestinal cancer patients, surgical information affected the onset of infective and non-infective complications. However, only infective complications had the onset factors of postoperative immune response and preoperative respiratory function. Preoperative physical therapy may be an option for the prevention of postoperative complications in gastrointestinal cancer patients.