The influence of short-term postoperative outcomes on overall survival after gastric cancer surgery.

Textbook outcome, postoperative complications, and readmission are validated quality performance indicators of gastric cancer surgery. Postoperative complications are associated with poor overall survival independent of severity or type. The underlying mechanisms of this influence remain elusive. The aggressive biology of gastric cancer, combined with the surgical morbidity and its negative influence on survival, highlights the importance of ongoing quality improvement.