Low Preoperative Hematocrit Adversely Affects Short-Term Outcomes After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate preoperative anemia as a risk factor for postoperative complications after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).MethodsAdult patients who underwent ARCR from 2015-2020 were identified in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients were grouped according to the following preoperative hematocrit levels: normal (male > 39%, female > 36%), mild anemia (male 33%-39%, female 33%-36%), and moderate-severe anemia (male and female ≤ 33%). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant differences in 30 day postoperative complication rates.ResultsOf the 21,836 patients identified, 19,726 (90.3%) patients had normal preoperative hematocrit, 1,731 (7.9%) were mildly anemic, and 379 (1.7%) were moderate to severely anemic. After adjusting for significantly associated demographics and comorbidities, mild anemia was a significant predictor of any complication (OR 1.436, p = 0.007), cardiac complications (OR 4.891, p = 0.002) sepsis related complications (OR 4.760, p = 0.004), readmission (OR 1.585, p = 0.014), and non-home discharge (OR 1.839, p = 0.006). Moderate-severe anemia was a significant predictor of any complication (OR 2.471, p < 0.001), readmission (OR 3.002, p < 0.001), and nonhome discharge (OR 3.211, p < 0.001).ConclusionPreoperative anemia is a significant risk factor for postoperative complications within 30 days of ARCR.