Key result
Elective non-obstetric surgery is linked to ~22% more healthcare contact days post-surgery.
Why the study?
Most patients fully recover after surgery, but high-risk patients may experience an increased burden of medical disease.
Does non-obstetric surgery increase healthcare utilisation in adult patients?
Observational (n=70,021)
Yes
Does non-obstetric surgery increase healthcare utilisation in adult patients?
Relative Risk: 1.22 (95% CI 1.21–1.22)
Absolute Event Rate: 15.5% vs 12.7%
High-risk patients who survive the immediate perioperative period experience large and persistent increases in healthcare utilisation in the years following surgery.
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High-risk surgical patients show sustained rises in healthcare contacts; leaves open whether targeted interventions reduce long-term utilisation.
Fowler et al. (2022) conducted an observational in Non-obstetric surgery (n=70,021). Non-obstetric surgery vs. Pre-surgery period was evaluated on Healthcare contact days per patient year (elective patients) (RaR 1.22, 95% CI 1.21-1.22). Non-obstetric surgery was associated with increased healthcare contact days per patient year in the 2 years after surgery compared to before for elective (RaR 1.22) and emergency (RaR 1.8) patients.
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