Complications after gastrectomy for cancer: Italian perspective

Surgery for gastric cancer is associated with significant major morbidity and an estimated mortality rate of about 5%. A reliable comparison of post-operative outcomes is hampered by the lack of a clear, universally recognized, definition of the most frequent complications. This paper reports the final results of a project launched by the Italian Research Group for Gastric Cancer in September 2015, whose goal was to propose a comprehensive list of surgical-related, gastric cancer-specific complications, with their definitions. The project was carried out through a multicentric, mainly web-based, consensus of experts. The proposed list, following assessment and validation by a group of experts of the European Chapter of the International Gastric Cancer Association, will form the basis for implementing a "Complications Recording Sheet" that can be disseminated worldwide for proper and reliable post-operative assessment.