Predictive factors and diagnostic significance of CT findings for anastomotic leak after gastric cancer surgery: A retrospective analysis

Abstract Background Anastomotic leak following radical gastrectomy poses a significant risk to patients. Despite previous studies, effective methods for diagnosing anastomotic leaks after gastric cancer surgery remain elusive. In this study, we aimed to assess the overall burden of anastomotic leaks and investigate diagnostic factors, particularly radiological signs on postoperative computed tomography (CT), that may facilitate early detection. Methods We included a total of 70 gastric cancer patients who underwent curative gastrectomy and underwent CT examination post‐surgery. Among them, 35 patients with anastomotic leak were matched with 35 patients without anastomotic leak. We compared the rates of various types of postoperative complications between the two groups and conducted univariate and multivariate analyses to identify predictive variables for postoperative diagnosis. Results Patients with anastomotic leaks experienced significantly longer postoperative hospital stays and higher overall expenditures (p