Reoperative surgery for early complications following abdominal and abdominothoracic operations.

In-hospital mortality was 9.6% in 3000 abdominal and abdominothoracic operations carried out by me or under my care. Intra-abdominal complications developing during the recovery period required reoperation in 141 patients. The decision to reoperate was a clinical one in 97.8%, although investigations were often helpful in localizing the site of the complicating lesion: the mortality in this group was 42.5%. Technical failure at the first operation could be indicated in 46%. Leaks and bleeding were most frequent and carried a high mortality. Patient selection and preparation, and selection of the simplest effective procedure, are not yet capable of being fully assessed in an individual patient.