Perioperative Metabolic and Hormonal Aspects in Major Emergency Surgery

Emergency laparotomies, which most often is performed due to high risk disease (bowel obstruction, ischemia, perforation, etc.), make up 11 % of surgical procedures in emergency surgical departments, however, give rise to 80 % of all postoperative complications. The 30-day mortality rates in relation to these emergent procedures have been reported between 14-30 %, with even higher numbers for frail and older patients. The specific reasons for these outcomes are not yet known, however, a combination of preexisting comorbidities, acute illness, sepsis, and the surgical stress response that arise during- and after the surgical procedure due to the activation of the immunological and humoral system, is most likely to blame. The complex endocrinological response and consequences of this response to emergency surgery are sparsely reported in the literature. The aim of this PHASE project is to evaluate and describe the temporal endocrine, endothelial and immunological changes after major emergency abdominal surgery, and to associate these changes with clinical postoperative outcomes.