Low serum cholinesterase predicts complication risk after orthopedic surgery in elderly patients: an observational pilot study

BACKGROUND: Serum cholinesterase (ChE) in elderly adults is associated with geriatric conditions such as sarcopenia and malnutrition. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of preoperative serum ChE on the development of complications after noncardiac surgery in elderly patients without liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We retrospectively identified all patients aged ≥ 65 years who underwent orthopedic surgery over a 1.5-year period in our hospital. The main outcome was postoperative complications, defined as a deviation from the normal postoperative course within 30 days postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 313 patients (median age 79 years) were included. The incidence of all-cause postoperative complications was 15.7% (49/313 patients). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that serum ChE was a univariable factor that predicted all-cause complications with moderate accuracy (area under the curve = 0.694, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.604–0.783), with an optimal serum ChE cutoff level of 200 units/L. After multivariate analyses adjusted by baseline characteristics, low serum ChE remained a significant risk factor for postoperative complications (odds ratio = 2.99, 95% CI 1.41–6.33, P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Low serum ChE (< 200 unit/L) is a significant risk factor for postoperative complications after orthopedic surgery in patients aged ≥ 65 years.