Effect of perioperative fluid balance on the postoperative outcomes of patient after esophagectomy

The effect of perioperative fluid balance on the postoperative complications and outcomes among patients who underwent esophagectomy surgery at a rural tertiary health care centre over 1 year is of interest. The effect of intraoperative and postoperative fluid balance on the postoperative complications and length of ICU and hospital stay was studied. Postoperative day 1 (POD1) balance (p-value 0.05) and cumulative fluid balance (p-value 0.017) were significantly associated with postoperative ICU stay. As the POD1 balance was significantly associated with the ICU stay, we divided the patients into low- and high-balance groups based on the mean POD1 balance (1484.74 mL), and ICU stay was found to be significantly longer in the high-balance group (p-value 0.023). POD1 balance and cumulative fluid balance appear to be the most influential variables, exhibiting a substantial positive relationship with ICU stay.