Impact of diabetes mellitus on postoperative complications in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery.

Background: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols decrease postoperative complications, but data on their effect on diabetic patients undergoing pancreatectomy are scarce. This study assessed whether diabetes mellitus (DM) was a morbidity predictor after pancreatectomy within an ERAS program.

Methods: A cross-sectional study including all patients who underwent pancreatectomy (2012-2022) and followed an ERAS pathway was performed. Multivariable analysis was used to determine whether DM was a morbidity predictor. Association between ERAS compliance and morbidity rate was assessed.

Results: A total of 558 patients were included (266 women, median age 66, median body-mass index 25). Most patients underwent open pancreatoduodenectomy (n=369, 66%). In diabetic patients with overall ERAS compliance≤60 %, morbidity was 38/40 (95%), whereas in diabetic patients with overall ERAS compliance>60 %, it decreased to 37/50 (74%, p=0.008). DM was not found as an independent complication predictor (OR 0.7, 95%CI 0.4-1.2, p=0.186), while body-mass index>25 kg/m and preoperative biliary stenting were preoperative morbidity predictors (OR 1.1, 95%CI 1.0-1.1, p=0.049; OR 1.7, 95%CI 1.0-2.5, p=0.044).

Conclusion: This study showed that DM was not associated with postoperative complications after pancreatectomy within an ERAS program. It highlighted the importance of a good ERAS compliance to decrease the risk of postoperative complications in DM patients.