Risk Factors of Konishi et al for an Anastomotic Leak Following Elective Resection of a Colorectal Carcinoma

 

Parameters:

(1) preoperative corticosteroid therapy

(2) duration of the surgery

(3) surgical site classification (American College of Surgeons, see Chapter 26)

Parameter	Finding	Points
preoperative steroid therapy	none	0
	present	1
duration of surgery	< 4 hours	0
	>= 4 hours	1
surgical site	Class 2 (clean-contaminated)	0
	Class 3 or 4 (contaminated or dirty)	1

 

where:

• A dirty operative site does not sound like an elective procedure.

 

total number of risk factors =

= SUM(points for all 3 parameters)

 

Interpretation:

• minimum risk score: 0

• maximum risk score: 3

• A higher risk score is associated with a greater risk of an anastomotic leakage.

 

NOTE: Some of these risk factors differ from those identified by Schrock et al, who did not finding preoperative corticosteroid significant. Positive resection margins was not a variable in the current study, possibly since the resections were elective.