Surgical complications requiring a second operation result in significant extra hospital costs, uncollectible revenue, and high mortality.
Fifteen patients who had a general or gynecologic abdominal operation were operated on a second time for a complication of the first operation. There were three deaths. Extra costs attributable to the complications amounted to +211,503, of which one third was uncollectible. One half of the extra hospital days for surviving patients were spent in the intensive care unit.
Lockert B. Mason (Sat,) studied this question.