[Economic evaluations of postoperative complications after colorectal cancer surgery].

Objective: This study aims to analyze the economic impact of postoperative complications after colorectal cancer surgery. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Patients with a preoperative pathological diagnosis of colorectal cancer who met surgical indications and underwent surgical treatment were included, while those with incomplete hospitalization cost data were excluded. From March 2017 to March 2022, three hundred and ninety-two colorectal cancer patients treated at Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute Gastrointestinal Cancer Center I, were enrolled. Descriptive statistics were performed on the incidence of complications, hospitalization costs, and postoperative length of stay. A cohort was established based on the presence of postoperative complications (POC) and absence of postoperative complications (non-POC) to study economic differences. Propensity score matching analysis was employed to reduce potential confounding factors. Results: Among 392 colorectal cancer patients, 90 (23.0%) developed POC (POC group), while 302 were in the non-POC group. Significant statistical differences were found between the two groups in terms of operation duration, extent of resection, and stoma creation (all P < 0.05); other baseline indicators showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). The median hospitalization cost for patients with postoperative anastomotic leakage was 115 973 yuan, an increase of 38 941 yuan (50.5%) over the non-POC group's 77 059 yuan; the median hospitalization cost for patients with mechanical obstruction was 111 477 yuan, an increase of 34 418 yuan (44.7%) over the non-POC group; and the median hospitalization cost for patients with wound infection was 95 860 yuan, an increase of 18 801 yuan (24.4%) over the non-POC group. The median postoperative length of stay for patients with anastomotic leakage, mechanical obstruction, and wound infection was 22.0 days, 22.0 days, and 18.5 days, respectively, compared to 9.0 days in the non-POC group, extending by 13.0 days, 13.0 days, and 9.5 days. After propensity score matching, each group had 68 patients, and there were no statistically significant differences in preoperative and intraoperative observations between the two groups (all P>0.05); compared to the non-POC group, the hospitali- zation costs in the POC group significantly increased (89 165 yuan vs. 75 437 yuan, P<0.001), and the postoperative length of stay also significantly extended (14.0 days vs. 8.0 days, P<0.001). Conclusions: The occurrence of POC after colorectal cancer surgery significantly increases hospitalization costs and length of stay. This study provides specific and accurate reference data for subsequent health economic decision-making. This is the first detailed economic impact analysis of postoperative complications of colorectal cancer with a large sample size, which includes an economic impact analysis for each POC and subgroup.