Sarcopenia and Risk of Pancreatic Fistula after Pancreatic Surgery: A Systematic Review

Postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is one of the most critical complications after pancreatic surgery. The relationship between sarcopenia and outcomes following this type of surgery is debated. The aim of this review was to assess the impact of sarcopenia on the risk of POPF. A literature search was performed using the PubMed database and the reference lists of relevant articles to identify papers about the impact of sarcopenia on POPF in pancreatic surgery. Twenty-one studies published between 2016 and 2021 with a total of 4068 patients were included. Some studies observed a significant difference in the incidence of POPF between the sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy. Interestingly, there was a trend of a lower POPF rate in sarcopenic patients than in non-sarcopenic patients. Only one study included patients undergoing distal pancreatectomy specifically. The role of sarcopenia in surgical outcomes is still unclear. A combination of objective CT measurements could be used to predict POPF. It could be assessed by routine preoperative staging CT and could improve preoperative risk stratification in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery.