Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on the Short-Term Outcomes of Colorectal Cancer Surgery

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of metabolic syndrome on the short-term outcomes of colorectal cancer surgery.A prospective, observational study of colorectal cancer patients who underwent elective oncological resection was conducted between June 2007 and August 2008 at the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok. Each patient received preoperative screening for metabolic syndrome using the criteria of the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Factors influencing 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality were analyzed.The study included 114 patients with colorectal cancer, with an average age of 61 years (range 29-91). Forty-two (36.8%) patients had metabolic syndrome. There was no significant difference in age, sex, tumor, or operative parameters between patients with or without metabolic syndrome. There was no postoperative mortality, and overall postoperative morbidity was 21.9%. Patients with metabolic syndrome had a higher rate of complications and a longer length of hospital stay than those without metabolic syndrome (40.5% vs 11.1%, P < .001 and 11.2 vs 8.1 day, P = .006, respectively). The presence of metabolic syndrome, tumor location, American Society of Anesthesiologists' score III, elevated blood pressure, and high triglycerides level were risk factors for postoperative complications in the univariate analysis; however, in the multivariate analysis, the presence of metabolic syndrome and rectal cancer surgery were the only 2 independent factors for the development of complications.Patients with metabolic syndrome had a higher rate of postoperative complication and a longer length of hospital stay than patients without metabolic syndrome.