ObjectiveTo evaluate the usefulness of estimation of physiologic ability and surgical stress (E-PASS) for predicting postoperative complications in patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer surgery. MethodsPatients underwent colorectal cancer surgery between August 2009 and October 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. E-PASS equations were applied to those patients for estimation of operative risk. The preoperative risk score (PRS), surgical stress score (SSS), and comprehensive risk score (CRS) of the E-PASS were compared with actual postoperative complications. The relationship between E-PASS variables and morbidity after colorectal cancer surgery was identified. ResultsOf the 313 patients, 22 (7.0%) had postoperative complications. Of all the E-PASS variables between complicative group and noncomplicative group, the morbidity was significantly correlated to age (P=0.003), weight (P=0.019), tumor histologic types (P=0.033), Dukes stage (P=0.001), severe heart disease (P=0.019), severe pulmonary disease (P=0.000), performance status (P=0.000), loss of blood volume/body weight (P=0.007), loss of blood volume (P=0.001) and operation time (P=0.001). Differentiation degree of tumor (P=0.503), diabetes (P=0.745), ASA grade (P=0.085), and size of surgical incision (P=0.726) were not significantly associated with postoperative complications. The PRS and CRS were higher in complicative group than those in noncomplicative group (Plt;0.001). But the difference of SSS between the two groups was not statistically significant (P=0.059). ConclusionThe E-PASS scoring system is a relatively simple, fast, and operable tool that can be used to predict short-term postoperative morbidity accurately for clinical decision-making in colorectal cancer surgery.