Table 4 Summary and definitions of secondary outcomes
Outcome parameter | Definition |
|---|---|
Wound infection | Surgical site infection associated with laparotomy that develops during the hospital stay |
Intra-abdominal collection | Fluid collections in the surgical site with or without signs of infection, usually shown in CT-scans |
Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) | Inability to tolerate solid food with prolonged need for nasogastric tube for at least four days or nasogastric re-intubation after POD 3; grading of DGE depends on its impact on clinical course and management; three grades are used for differentiation [18] |
Postpancreatectomy haemorrhage (PPH) | PPH is classified, according to time of onset (early vs. late), severity (mild vs. severe) and diagnostic and therapeutic consequences (observation, transfusion, interventional, operative), into three grades [19] |
Abdominal rupture | Dehiscence of abdominal closure with need for relaparotomy during 40 days after index operation |
Operation time | Time from skin incision to closure of wound (minutes) |
Operative or interventional revisions | All actions for diagnostic or therapeutic reasons that are related to an abnormal postoperative course are documented for analyses. |
In-hospital mortality | Death of any cause during hospital stay |
Need for readmission | Readmission to any hospital due to postoperative complications |
Quality of life | Quality of life, accessed by using the EQ-5D questionnaire (EuroQol Group Foundation) |