To explore the occurrence and related risk factors of perioperative complications after radical gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer.

The clinical and pathological data of 168 elderly patients with gastric cancer who underwent radical total resection in Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2015 to January 2020 were retrospectively collected. According to whether the perioperative complications occurred, the patients were divided into complication group and non-complication group. Postoperative complications were graded using Clavien-Dindo complication grading system, and the risk factors were determined by single factor and multiple factor logistic regression model. The predictive effect of the model was evaluated by the area under receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve.

Postoperative complications occurred in 38 cases (22.62%), mainly pulmonary infection, anastomosis-related complications and incision-related complications, with 13 cases (34.21%) of Clavien-Dindo≥Ⅲ. Body mass index≥25 kg/m², GNRI<92, complicated underlying diseases, upper gastric tumors, and TNM stage Ⅲ were independent risk factors for perioperative complications after radical gastrectomy in the elderly (P<0.05). The area under ROC curve value of its prediction model was 0.719 (95% CI: 0.623-0.815), and the prediction effect was good.

There are many factors that affect the occurrence of complications during the perioperative period of radical total gastrectomy in elderly patients. In order to reduce the risk of complications and improve the prognosis, targeted intervention measures should be taken according to relevant risk factors.