Impact of Intraoperative Blood Loss and Blood Transfusion on the Prognosis of Colorectal Liver Metastasis Following Curative Resection

Abstract

Background/aim: The identification of risk factors for recurrence after resection of colorectal liver metastasis is necessary in order to establish a more effective treatment strategy. In addition to well-known prognostic factors, such as the tumor diameter and number of metastatic tumors, a large amount of intraoperative blood loss (IBL) and blood transfusion have recently been reported to be associated with shorter long-term survival. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of IBL and blood transfusion on the prognosis of colorectal liver metastasis after curative resection.

Patients and methods: A total of 104 patients who underwent R0 resection for colorectal liver metastasis were enrolled in this study.

Results: The high-IBL (>300 ml) group had significantly shorter relapse-free survival after hepatic resection in comparison to the low-IBL (≤300 ml) group (p=0.0025). Patients with blood transfusion had significantly shorter relapse-free survival after hepatic resection in comparison to patients without blood transfusion (p=0.0026).

Conclusion: A large amount of IBL and blood transfusion may have a negative impact on long-term survival in patients who undergo hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastasis.

Keywords: Colorectal liver metastasis; blood transfusion; intraoperative blood loss; prognosis.