CT-derived sarcopenia doubles postoperative complication risk after gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Sarcopenia on preoperative CT independently predicts postoperative complications after radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer, with a pooled risk ratio of 2.73 (95% CI 1.83–4.08). Variability in measurement methods limits clinical applicability.

• Pooled analysis of 21 studies with multivariable-adjusted estimates.
• Only skeletal muscle index (SMI)-defined sarcopenia met criteria for meta-analysis; other body composition parameters were too heterogeneous to pool.
• Standardization of CT body composition assessment is needed before it can guide surgical risk stratification.

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