Table 4 Severity grade by Clavien-Dindo definition

Grade I

Any deviation from the normal postoperative course without the need for pharmacological treatment or surgical, endoscopic or radiological interventions

Allowed therapeutic regimens are drugs as antiemetic, antipyretics, analgesics, diuretics and electrolytes and physiotherapy. This grade also includes wound infections opened at the bedside

Grade II

Requiring pharmacological treatment with drugs other than such allowed for Grade I complications

Blood transfusions and total parenteral nutrition are also included

Grade III

Requiring surgical, endoscopic or radiological intervention

- IIIa

Intervention not under general anaesthesia

- IIIb

Intervention under general anaesthesia

Grade IV

Life-threatening complication (including CNS complications)^a requiring IC/ICU management

- IVa

Single organ dysfunction (including dialysis)

- IVb

Multiorgan dysfunction

Grade V

Death of a patient

Suffix ’d’

If the patient suffers from a complication at the time of discharge, the suffix ’d’ (for ‘disability’) is added to the respective grade of complication. This label indicates the need for a follow-up to fully evaluate the complication