High symptom burden after oesophagectomy

On postoperative day 3, about one in five patients had high symptom burden, and the symptoms most linked to others differed between patient groups.

• Of 1,047 patients, 19.8% fell into the high-burden group.
• Incision pain was most linked to other symptoms in that group; worry led in the low-burden group.
• Reduced social interaction was most linked to symptoms across all patients.

These are symptom patterns from one day, not evidence that treating one symptom will ease others; intervention effects came from computer simulations.