Laboratory tests
Pre-operative systemic inflammatory condition was assessed through serum CRP within 3 weeks before surgery (Pre-Op CRP). Serum CRP levels in the post-operative period were routinely measured on POD1-3 and on POD4-5, based on clinical indication. The concentration of CRP was measured using a validated immunoturbidimetric assay on a Roche Cobas 8000 (Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland). The analytical characteristics of this method are as follows: limit of detection, 0.3 mg/L; linearity, 0.3-350 mg/L; intra-assay imprecision, 1.2% to 3.6%; upper limit of the normal reference range: <5 mg/L