A laparoscopic risk-adjusted model to predict major complications after primary debulking surgery in ovarian cancer: A single-institution assessment

•Prediction of postoperative complications may be helpful to individualized the primary treatment in AEOC women.•AEOC patients with high risk for postoperative complications could be identified preoperatively.•This study develops a laparoscopic adjusted score to predict post-operative complications in AEOC patients undergoing PDS.

ObjectiveTo develop and validate a simple adjusted laparoscopic score to predict major postoperative complications after primary debulking surgery (PDS) in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (AEOC).MethodsFrom January 2006 to June 2015, preoperative, intraoperative, and post-operative outcome data from patients undergoing staging laparoscopy (S-LPS) before receiving PDS (n = 555) were prospectively collected in an electronic database and retrospectively analyzed. Major complications were defined as levels 3 to 5 of MSKCC classification. On the basis of a multivariate regression model, the score was developed using a random two-thirds of the population (n = 370) and was validated on the remaining one-third patients (n = 185).ResultsMajor complication rate was 18.3% (102/555). Significant predictors included in the scoring system were: poor performance status, presence of ascites (> 500 cm3), CA125 serum level (> 1000 U/ml), and high laparoscopic tumor load (predictive index value, PIV ≥ 8). The mean risk of developing major postoperative complications was 3.7% in patients with score 0 to 2, 13.2% in patients with score 3 to 5, 37.1% in patients with score 6 to 8. In the validation population, the predicted risk of major complications was 17.8% (33/185) versus a 16.7% (31/185) observed risk (C-statistic index = 0.790).ConclusionThis new score may accurately predict a patient's postoperative outcome. Early identification of high-risk patients could help the surgeon to adopt tailored strategies on individual basis.