Serum electrolytes, chemistries, and blood cell counts after gynecologic surgery in healthy women

Objective: To define "normal" postoperative hematologic values in healthy women undergoing laparotomy. Design: Retrospective review. Setting: Databases of the Sepracoat and Seprafilm anti-adhesion clinical trials conducted at medical centers. Patient(s): 188 control patients from these clinical trials at 42 centers. Intervention(s): Blood was obtained preoperatively (pre-op), 2 to 5 days postoperatively (post-op 1), and 2 to 5 weeks postoperatively (post-op 2). Result(s): At post-op 1, over 75% of women were found to have hematocrit, hemoglobin levels, and RBC counts below the lower limit of normal; calcium and potassium were reduced below normal in 43% and 16% of women, respectively. A high percentage of women had reduction below normal of albumin and total protein (63% and 49%, respectively). Elevations at post-op 1 of protime and partial thromboplastin time were observed in 23% and 4% of women respectively; 18% had elevated white blood cell counts, while platelet counts were normal in 92%. At post-op 2, changes in all of the parameters identified above at post-op 1 had reverted towards pre-op values, although hematocrit, hemoglobin, and red blood cell continued to be below the lower limit of normal in 45%, 39%, and 36% of women, respectively. Conclusion: A surprisingly high frequency of transient alterations in serum electrolytes, chemistries, and blood cell counts occur in normal women undergoing laparotomy.