Prognostic impact of postoperative pulmonary complications following salvage esophagectomy after definitive chemoradiotherapy

Background Postoperative complications after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer have a negative effect on patients’ survival. Although postoperative complications are more frequently observed after salvage esophagectomy than after planned esophagectomy, the effects of postoperative complications on long‐term oncologic outcomes after salvage esophagectomy remain unclear. Methods This retrospective study of 70 esophageal cancer patients after definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT) compared long‐term outcomes between those with and without complications. The association between morbidity and overall survival (OS) was evaluated by a Cox regression analysis. To identify the risk factors for pulmonary complications, logistic regression analysis was carried out. Results Postoperative complications occurred in 42 (60.0%) patients. Pulmonary complications and anastomotic leakage occurred in 23 (32.9%) and 9 (12.9%) patients, respectively. Overall complications and anastomotic leakage did not affect long‐term outcomes. Survival was significantly worse for patients with pulmonary complications. Radiation dose (