Predictors of Readmission Following Proctectomy for Rectal Cancer

BACKGROUND: Unplanned readmission after surgery negatively impacts surgical recovery. Few studies have sought to define predictors of readmission in a rectal cancer cohort alone. Readmission following rectal cancer surgery may be reduced by the identification and modification of factors associated with readmission. OBJECTIVES: This study seeks to characterize the predictors of 30-day readmission following proctectomy for rectal cancer. DESIGN: This study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively gathered cohort data. Outcomes were compared between readmitted and nonreadmitted patients. Multivariate analysis of factors association with readmission was performed by using binary logistic regression. SETTINGS: This study was conducted at Beaumont Hospital, a nationally designated, publicly funded cancer center. PATIENTS: Two hundred forty-six consecutive patients who underwent proctectomy for rectal cancer between January 2012 and December 2015 were selected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes measured were readmission within 30 days of discharge and the variables associated with readmission, categorized into patient factors, perioperative factors, and postoperative factors. RESULTS: Thirty-one (12.6%) patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge following index rectal resection. The occurrence of anastomotic leaks, high-output stoma, and surgical site infections was significantly associated with readmission within 30 days (anastomotic leak OR 3.60, p = 0.02; high-output stoma OR 11.04, p = 0.003; surgical site infections OR 13.39, p = 0.01). Surgical site infections and high-output stoma maintained significant association on multivariate analysis (surgical site infections OR 10.02, p = 0.001; high-output stoma OR 9.40, p = 0.02). No significant difference was noted in the median length of stay or frequency of prolonged admissions (greater than 24 days) between readmitted and nonreadmitted patients. LIMITATIONS: The institutional database omits a number of socioeconomic factors and comorbidities that may influence readmission, limiting our capacity to analyze the relative contribution of these factors to our findings. CONCLUSIONS: An early postoperative care bundle to detect postoperative complications could prevent some unnecessary inpatient admissions following proctectomy. Key constituents should include early identification and management of stoma-related complications and surgical site infection. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/A912.