SARCOPENIA AND DURATION OF POSTOPERATIVE HOSPITAL STAY IN PATIENTS OF CARCINOMA ESOPHAGUS WHO UNDERWENT ESOPHAGECTOMY: A HOSPITAL BASED PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY

Dr. Ishan Barotra*, Dr. Ashish Katoch, Dr. Puneet Mahajan and Dr. Rashpal Singh Thakur

ABSTRACT

Background: Esophagectomy is the most effective treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer, but it has a high mortality rate. Sarcopenia is a common comorbidity in cancer patients, and the exact impact of sarcopenia on esophagectomy outcomes is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the duration of postoperative hospital stay in resectable esophageal cancer patients that underwent esophagetomy, comparing those with sarcopenia to those without sarcopenia. There is very limited data available from sub-Himalayan belt of northern India, hence the present study was planned to know the association of sarcopenia with duration of postoperative hospital stay in resectable esophageal cancer patients that underwent esophagetomy. Methods: A hospital based prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of General Surgery of a tertiary care hospital in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. All patients who reported to Department of Surgery during the study period of 1st September 2021 to 30th September 2022 with diagnosis of esophageal cancer were considered for the study. Results: Eighteen patients were included in the study. Patients had a mean age of 60.43± 14.16 years. Sarcopenia was detected in 8(44.44%) patients based on EWGSOP2 (The European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2) recommendations and 10 patients were non sarcopenic. The mean age was 65.37 years in the sarcopenic group (SG) and 55.5 years in the non-sarcopenic group(NSG).The mean SMI(Skeletal Muscle Index) was 42.23±7.10 cm²/m² and 47.14±6.24 cm²/m² in the SG and NSG, respectively. The mean body mass index (BMI) was lower in the sarcopenic group than in the nonsarcopenic group (19.11 ± 1.99 vs. 19.83± 2.13 kg/m2). Postoperative duration of hospital stay was significantly higher in the sarcopenic group than in the non-sarcopenic group (17 days vs. 11.5 days; p = 0.03). Conclusions: Postoperative duration of hospital stay was significantly higher in the sarcopenic group than in the non-sarcopenic group in resectable esophageal cancer patients who underwent esophagectomy.

Keywords: Sarcopenia _ Postoperative Duration _ Hospital Stay _ esophageal malignancy _Sub Himalayan Region.