Preoperative Nutritional Status Predicts Major Morbidity After Primary Rectal Cancer Resection

Malnutrition has been associated with adverse surgical outcomes, but data regarding its impact specifically in rectal cancer are sparse. The goal of this study was to use national data to determine the effects of malnutrition on surgical outcomes in rectal cancer resection. Data were obtained from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Initiative Program from the years 2012-2015. Patients were included on the basis of International Classification of Disease 9/10 and Current Procedural Terminology codes for rectal cancer and proctectomy. Malnutrition was defined as body mass index 10% in 6 mo, or preoperative albumin 30 d), failure to wean off ventilator, renal failure, and cardiac arrest. With the exception of LOS, renal failure, and organ-space infection, malnutrition was still significantly associated with higher rates of these adverse outcomes after adjustment for confounders in multivariate regression models. Malnutrition is a practical marker associated with a variety of adverse outcomes after rectal cancer surgery, and it represents a potential target for nutritional therapies to improve surgical outcomes.