Gut Microbiota and Patient Outcomes: Emerging Implications Across Surgical Specialties

Dear Colleagues,

The gut microbiota has become a central focus of modern biomedical research, with growing recognition of its influence on systemic health, immune regulation, metabolism, and tissue repair. Increasing evidence suggests that alterations in microbial composition and function are closely linked to surgical outcomes, affecting both perioperative risk and long-term prognosis. Complications such as postoperative ileus, surgical site infections and anastomotic leakage after colectomy, as well as a plethora of benign conditions, are now being studied in the context of host–microbiome interactions.

This Special Issue, “Gut Microbiota and Patient Outcomes: Emerging Implications Across Surgical Specialties,” aims to provide a platform for contemporary research that explores the role of the microbiome in surgical care. We welcome original research, clinical studies, translational work, and comprehensive reviews that investigate how the gut microbiota influences surgical pathophysiology, postoperative complications, recovery, and quality of life. Studies on novel diagnostic approaches, perioperative microbiome modulation, and therapeutic interventions are particularly encouraged.

By bringing together multidisciplinary contributions, this Special Issue seeks to advance understanding of microbiome-driven mechanisms, identify predictive biomarkers, and promote innovative strategies that may improve surgical practice and patient outcomes. We invite authors to share insights that will help shape the future of surgery through microbiome science.

Dr. Theodoros Mariolis-Sapsakos
Guest Editor

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