Preoperative anemia and postoperative complications in patients undergoing resection of supratentorial tumors: an observational study

Introduction: The incidence of anemia in neurosurgical procedures varies depending on the population and type of surgery. In elective cranial surgery, the prevalence of moderate to severe anemia reaches up to 2.7%. Anemia has been associated with worse outcomes in terms of 30-day morbidity and mortality, as well as increased need for blood transfusions, particularly in emergency interventions. Objective: To assess the prevalence of preoperative anemia and the occurrence of postoperative complications in patients undergoing resection of supratentorial tumors. Method: Observational study analyzing patients who underwent resection of supratentorial tumors at Fundación Santa Fe de Bogotá, Colombia. Consecutive sampling was used for patients meeting inclusion criteria, and descriptive results were reported through a prevalence study. The association between preoperative anemia and the proposed outcomes was analyzed using frequency measures such as mean, median, and percentages. Results: A total of 295 patients were analyzed between 2019 and 2023, with a prevalence of preoperative anemia of 38.3% (adjusted for the city’s altitude). When analyzing anemia severity, a significant crude association was observed with renal failure and surgical site infection. Conclusion: Preoperative anemia was common in patients with supratentorial tumors and was significantly associated with acute kidney injury and surgical site infection, particularly in moderate to severe cases. Its impact on postoperative morbidity highlights the need for preoperative optimization strategies.