Preoperative C-reactive protein and other inflammatory markers as predictors of postoperative complications in patients with colorectal neoplasia

Inflammatory markers are measured following colorectal surgery to detect postoperative complications. However, the association of these markers preoperatively with subsequent postoperative course has not yet been usefully studied. The aim of this study is to assess the ability of preoperative C-reactive protein (CRP) and other inflammatory marker measurements in the prediction of postoperative morbidity after elective colorectal surgery. This is a retrospective study which catalogs 218 patients undergoing elective, potentially curative surgery for colorectal neoplasia. Preoperative laboratory results of the full blood count (FBC), C-reactive protein (CRP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were recorded. Multivariable analysis was performed to examine preoperative variables against 30-day postoperative complications by type and grade (Clavien-Dindo (CD)), adjusting for age, sex, BMI, smoking status, medical history, open versus laparoscopic operation, and tumor characteristics. Elevated preoperative CRP (≥ 5 mg/L) was significantly predictive of all-cause mortality, with an OR of 17.0 (p < 0.001) and was the strongest factor to predict a CD morbidity grade ≥ 3 (OR 41.9, p < 0.001). Other factors predictive of CD morbidity grade ≥ 3 included smoking, elevated preoperative platelet count and elevated preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (OR 15.6, 8.6, and 6.3 respectively, all p < 0.05). CRP values above 5.5 mg/L were indicative of all-cause morbidity (AUC = 0.871), and values above 17.5 mg/L predicted severe complications (AUC = 0.934). Elevated preoperative CRP predicts increased postoperative morbidity in this patient cohort. The results herein aid risk and resource stratification and encourage preoperative assessment of inflammatory propensity besides simple sepsis exclusion.