From January 2001 to December 2010, 5,739 patients underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer at the National Cancer Center, Korea. Clinical data from patients with postoperative bleeding were obtained from a prospectively established database, and risk factors for bleeding were analyzed using multivariate binary logistic regression.
Incidence of the postoperative bleeding was 0.8% (n = 48) and the subsequent mortality rate was 10% (5/48). Majority of anastomotic bleeding occurred early within 1 day of the operation (5/7; 71%). It was successfully managed with conservative treatment in 3 patients, endoscopic intervention in 2, and relaparotomy in 2. Arterial bleeding occurred in 24 patients, with the main site being the splenic artery (11/24; 46%), and mostly manifested in the delayed period (median, 12 days). Fifteen of them underwent radiologic intervention, and 4 of these patients were referred for operation eventually. The other 9 patients underwent relaparotomy as first-line treatment. Independent risk factors for the bleeding were male (hazard ratio [HR] 2.253; 95% CI, 1.079–4.704), comorbidity (HR, 2.709; 95% CI, 1.440–5.095), previous abdominal operation (HR, 2.785; 95% CI, 1.322–5.867), and palliative surgery (HR, 4.142; 95% CI, 1.443–11.889).
Postgastrectomy bleeding can be managed properly considering its origin, severity, onset, and the risk factors.