Skeletal muscle volume and intramuscular adipose tissue are prognostic predictors of postoperative complications after hepatic resection

Background/Aim: Recently, skeletal muscle quality was important in patients with malignant tumors to predict the surgical outcome. The relationship between postoperative complications of Clavien-Dindo grade III or more and prognosis in patients who have undergone hepatic resection for hepatic malignancies were investigated. Patients and Methods: Patient data were retrospectively collected for 146 consecutive patients who underwent curative hepatic resection in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Gunma University, Japan, for hepatic malignancy. The patients were assigned to two groups according to the presence of postoperative complications. The clinicopathological and surgical outcomes were analyzed. Skeletal muscle area (SMA) and intramuscular adipose tissue content (IMAC) were also evaluated. Results: No hospital deaths occurred. Postoperative complications were identified in 12 patients (8.2%). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that the independent risk factors for postoperative complications were hemodialysis, psychiatric disorder, high CONUT (controlling nutritional status) score and patients both with low SMA and high IMAC. Conclusion: Intensive surgical care is necessary for high-risk patients with hemodialysis, psychiatric disorder, high CONUT count and/or low skeletal muscle quality to reduce postoperative complication.