Readmission is Common Following Bariatric Surgery

A significant number of patients who undergo bariatric surgery are readmitted within 30 days due to surgical complications, according to the results of a recent study.

“The data on the impact of rehospitalizations after bariatric surgery options on a large scale is minimal,” the researchers wrote.

They conducted an analysis of data from the National Readmission Database 2017, identifying patients who underwent bariatric procedures in the United States who were age 18 years or older. The primary outcome of the study was all-cause 30-day readmission and diagnoses leading to readmission.

Overall, the all-case 30-day readmission rate among the 171,677 participants was estimated at 4.10%, and the most common diagnoses associated with readmission were complications of bariatric surgery (8.59%), dehydration (4.93%) and sepsis (4.27%).

“Our study showed that a significant number of patients are readmitted within a month following bariatric surgery due to the complications of bariatric surgery. Mean length of stay and inpatient mortality was also higher in readmitted patients. We can decrease the burden of these readmissions by the institutional implementation of policies involving strict adherence to infection control and post-op care,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Sohail A, Malik A, Naseem K, et al. A nationwide analysis of all-cause 30-day readmissions in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Presented at Digestive Disease Week 2021. May 22, 2021.