New Method to Predict Postoperative Complications: Protein Electrophoresis by Geometrical Electrofocusing

Purpose: To evaluate drainage liquid protein electrophoresis as a predictive marker for postoperative complications.
Assumption: Postoperative drainage liquid has variable protein concentrations which decrease progressively in the absence of local complications, therefore the postoperative rising of protein fractions could be a signal for a future complication.
Material and method: Drainage liquid samples collected at 24 h, 72 h and 5 days after surgery from patients operated in the 1st Surgery Clinic of the County Emergency Clinical Hospital of Tîrgu Mureș, were analyzed regarding the protein concentration and compared against a sample of human serum provided by the I.C. Cantacuzino institute, București. Quantitative variations in protein concentrations were assessed by 280 nm spectrophotometry and qualitative variations were evaluated by colorimetric comparison of the protein fractions obtained at electrophoresis by geometrical electrofocusing. Results were computer analyzed and graphically transposed.
Results: Electrophoresis identified, in all cases, protein fractions similar with those from the reference serum. All protein fractions tended to decrease in samples obtained from operated patients with normal, uncomplicated postoperative evolution. In case of a complicated evolution (local peritonitis after splenopancreatectomy) protein levels were constantly elevated in all three samples (at 24 h, 72 h and 5 days).
Conclusions: Geometrical electrofocusing of serum protein proved to be qualitatively efficient, low cost and very sensible, detecting protein concentrations over 10 mg/dl; normal serum protein concentration is over 7000 mg/dl. This method could be a predictive factor for a local postoperative complication and also a trigger for protein replacements in cases with large amount of drainage liquid losses.