Preoperative muscle strength as a predictor of complications after esophagectomy.

454 Background: Sarcopenia has been associated with post-operative complications and length of stay (LOS) in patients undergoing esophagectomy. A variety of methods exist to measure muscle mass and strength, with few comparisons between methods. We compared hand-grip strength (HGS), muscle mass and intramuscular adipose tissue as predictors of post-operative outcomes. Methods: Patients with esophageal cancer undergoing esophagectomy were identified between January 2015 – June 2019 at Levine Cancer Institute. Skeletal muscle index (SMI) and skeletal muscle density (SMD), a measure of intramuscular adipose tissue, were derived from CT. HGS was measured using a dynamometer. Uni- and multivariable GLM analyses were performed. Results: 115 patients (100 male, 15 female) underwent esophagectomy with an average age of 64.3 +/- 9.8. The analysis was stratified by sex due to significant differences in HGS, SMI, and SMD. Among men, univariable analysis revealed a significant association between pre-operative HGS <25 kg and increased risk of post-operative pneumonia ( p=0.02), ventilation >48hrs ( p=0.02), LOS ( p=0.002), discharge to home ( p=0.001), and one-year mortality ( p=0.005). All associations except discharge home remained significant in multivariable analyses (Table). Among women, no factors analyzed were significantly associated with postoperative outcomes. Conclusions: HGS is a more powerful predictor of postoperative complications and LOS than either muscle mass or intramuscular adipose tissue among men undergoing esophagectomy. HGS is cost-effective and easily incorporated into routine clinical care, allowing for preoperative intervention to optimize patients for esophagectomy. To better understand the implications in women, additional research with a larger cohort is needed. [Table: see text]