Comparison between abdominal fat measured by CT and anthropometric indices as prediction factors for mortality and morbidity after colorectal surgery

Aim : This study aims to determine which anthropometric (body mass index (BMI), waist-hip-ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR)) and radiological (visceral fat area (VFA) measured by CT scan) measurements of adiposity correlated better with postoperative outcome of colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery. We also assessed which of these measurements best predicted overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Methods : Data from 90 consecutive Caucasian CRC patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer between 2010 and 2011 with a median follow-up of 53.25 months were analysed. The correlations of different adiposity measurements and postoperative outcomes were determined using logistic regression models and multivariate analyses. Results : Higher WHtR (p = 0.007) and VFA (p = 0.01) significantly increased the risk of overall morbidity, especially of Clavien-Dindo III or IV. The WHtR correlated best with VFA (p < 0.0001), which is considered the gold standard for measuring visceral fat, whereas BMI (p = 0.15) was not a good predictor of postoperative morbidity. Multivariate analyses showed consistently significant results for postoperative complications for VFA in combination with all of the other variables analysed and for WHtR, confirming that VFA and WHtR were reliable independent prognostic factors of morbidity. VFA had a significant effect on OS (p = 0.012) but did not correlate with DFS (p = 0.51). Conclusions : Both VFA and WHtR independently provided predictive data for potential postoperative complications after CRC surgery. In case CT scan was used for diagnostic purposes, VFA should be used in routine clinical practice. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2018, 81, 477-483).