Study on the Correlation Between Preoperative and Postoperative Sleep Disorders and Postoperative Complications in Elderly Patients Undergoing Radical Colon cancer Surgery

Gang Wang¹Shengjie Pan^2*

• ¹Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
• ²Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between preoperative and postoperative sleep disturbances and the incidence of postoperative complications in elderly patients undergoing radical Colon cancer surgery. The analysis also incorporated tumor-specific factors and comparisons with non-cancer surgery patients to enhance clinical relevance.Colon cancer surgery at our institution between October 2020 and October 2023. Patients were stratified into three groups based on the severity of postoperative complications: no complications, mild complications, and severe complications. Tumor-related variables, including TNM staging, tumor location, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, were analyzed alongside Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores. Additionally, a control group of 95 non-cancer surgery patients was included to assess differences in outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed using univariate, multivariate, and correlation methods.Results: Among the Colon cancer patients, 437 (77.35%) experienced no complications, 109 (19.29%) had mild complications, and 19 (3.36%) had severe complications. Both preoperative and postoperative PSQI scores differed significantly across the three groups (P < 0.05), with higher scores observed in patients with mild and severe complications. Multivariate logistic regression identified preoperative and postoperative PSQI scores, TNM staging, and CEA levels as independent predictors of postoperative complications (P < 0.05). Comparisons with non-cancer surgery patients revealed that Colon cancer patients exhibited significantly poorer sleep quality and higher complication rates (P < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated strong positive correlations between PSQI scores and the severity of postoperative complications (preoperative: rs = 0.819; postoperative: rs = 0.835; P < 0.05).: Sleep disturbances before and after surgery, as well as tumor-specific factors such as advanced TNM staging and elevated CEA levels, are significant predictors of postoperative complications in elderly Colon cancer patients. These findings underscore the importance of integrating sleep quality assessments and targeted interventions into perioperative care to mitigate complications and improve outcomes.