Role of biomarkers in predicting anastomotic leakage following colorectal surgeries

Background: Recovery after surgery for patients with colorectal disease has improved with the advent of minimal access surgery and standardized recovery protocols. Despite these advances, anastomotic leakage remains one of the most dreaded complications following colorectal surgery, with rates of 3-27 per cent depending on specific risk factors. The aim of the study was to assess sensitivity and specificity of systemic and peritoneal drain-fluid bio-markers in early prediction of anastomotic leak; and to co-relate rise in levels of biomarkers and severity of clinical symptoms in patients who have undergone colo-rectal surgeries.Methods: The present study was a prospective observational study conducted on 60 patients in the Postgraduate Department of Surgery, Government Medical College, Srinagar after obtaining due ethical clearance over a period of two years.Results: The mean age was 54.87±11.901 years with 44 patients (73.3%) were males. Among systemic makers: the mean CRP level was 2.7800±0.500 mg/L, the mean total leukocyte count was 10.783±0.940 thousands and the mean serum procalcitonin level was 0.365±0.1385 ng/ml. Among peritoneal fluid drain bio-makers, the mean IL-6 level was 3551.066±1311.965 pg/ml, the mean IL-10 level was 628.533±460.358 pg/ml and the mean TNF-a level was 16.391±6.736 pg/ml. The anastomotic leak after colo-rectal surgery was noted in 16 patients (26.7%). In our study significant co-relation was noted between the rise in levels of peritoneal drain fluid biomarkers and severity of clinical symptoms but no significant co-relation was noted between the rise in levels of systemic markers and severity of clinical symptoms in patients who have undergone colo-rectal surgeries.Conclusions: Systemic biomarkers are poor predictors of anastomotic leak after colorectal surgery. But sensitivity and specificity of peritoneal fluid drain biomarkers in predicting anastomotic leak was significantly high