The Impact of Sarcopenia on the Early Mortality and Survival of Patients Undergoing Primary Repair for Perforated Peptic Ulcer

• DOI: 10.4274/imj.galenos.2025.73479
• Publication Date: 2025-02-19T13:16:32Z
• Authors: Önder Önal; Enver Reyhan; Hilmi Bozkurt; Deniz Tazeoğlu; Süleyman Ekiz; Elif Ertaş
• Keywords: sarcopenia; peptic ulcer perforation; R; Medicine; mortality; survival

Introduction: Sarcopenia is a significant prognostic factor that influences morbidity and mortality, particularly in patients with cancer. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of sarcopenia on early mortality and survival among patients undergoing surgery for perforated peptic ulcers at our clinic. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of General Surgery between January 1st 2010 and December 31st 2021. The study included adult patients aged >18 years who were diagnosed with peptic ulcus perforation and underwent Graham patch repair (primary closure + omental patch). Sarcopenia was assessed based on the patients’ demographic data, nutritional status, and preoperative computed tomography scans, and mortality and survival analyses were performed to compare patients with and without sarcopenia. Results: A total of 238 patients were included in the study. Of these, 165 were male (69.3%) and 73 were female (30.7%). Mean age was 50.7±16.9. The median age of the non-survivors was 63.6 years, compared to 48.4 years in those with prolonged survival (p<0.001), whereas the median survival of the entire sample was 84.45%, specifically 64.41% for the patients with sarcopenia and 91.06% for those without sarcopenia (p<0.001). Conclusion: This study identified advanced age and sarcopenia as factors that independently decreased survival among patients undergoing primary repair for perforated peptic ulcers.