Table 1.

Modified Clavien classification of surgical complications

Grade	Definition
Grade I	Any deviation from the normal postoperative course without the need for pharmacological treatment or surgical, endoscopic, and radiological interventions. Allowed therapeutic regimens are: drugs as antiemetics, antipyretics, analgesics, diuretics, electrolytes, and physiotherapy. This grade also includes wound infection opened at the bedsides.
Grade II	Requiring pharmacological treatment with other than such allowed for grade I complications. Blood transfusion and total parenteral nutrition are also included.
Grade III Grade IIIa Grade IIIb	Requiring surgical, endoscopic or radiological intervention Intervention not under general anesthesia Intervention under general anesthesia
Grade IV Grade IVa Grade IVb	Life-threatening complication (including CNS complications)* requiring IC/ICU management Single organ dysfunction (including dialysis) Multiorgan dysfunction
Grade V	Death of a patient
Suffix “d”	If the patient suffers from a complication at the time of discharge, the suffix “d” (for “disability”) is added to the respective grade of complication. This label indicated the need for a follow-up to fully evaluate the complication.

Adapted from Dindo et al.

^*Brain hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, subarachnoidal bleeding, but excluding transient ischemic attacks. CNS: central nervous system; IC: intermediate care; ICU: intensive care unit.