A total of 66 patients who underwent esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were retrospectively evaluated for preoperative status, surgical procedures, and postoperative systemic response and laboratory data up to postoperative day (POD) 7. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 levels were also examined in patient sera and pleural drainage fluid until POD?5.
Eighteen patients (27.3 % ) had pneumonia following esophagectomy. Patients with pneumonia had significantly more frequent intraoperative blood transfusions, more frequent re-intubation, longer hospital stays, and higher hospital mortality than those without pulmonary complications. Patients with pneumonia had significantly higher levels of serum and pleural IL-6 immediately after surgery and on POD 1 than those without pneumonia. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed higher pleural IL-6 levels were associated with postoperative minimum PaO2/FiO2 ratio.
The elevation of pleural IL-6 levels immediately after surgery and on POD 1 may predict the incidence of pneumonia and the levels of postoperative impaired oxygenation following esophagectomy.