Comparison of Postoperative Mortality in VA and Private Hospitals

OBJECTIVE: This study compared unselected VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) and private multi-hospital postoperative mortality rates. In the absence of national standards for postoperative mortality rates and in view of the unique volume and range of surgical procedures studied, the second objective is to help establish national standards through the dissemination of these postoperative mortality norms. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Public Law 99-166, Section 204, enacted by Congress December 3, 1985, required that the VA compare postoperative mortality and morbidity rates for each type of surgical procedure it performs with the prevailing national standard and analyze any deviation between such rates in terms of patient characteristics. METHODS: The authors compared postoperative mortality in the VA to that in private hospitals, adjusting for the patient characteristics of age, diagnosis, comorbidity, or severity of illness. We used a total of 830,000 patients discharge records (323,000 VA and 507,000 private patients) from 1984 through 1986 among 309 individual surgical procedures within 113 comparison surgical procedures or procedure groups. RESULTS: The authors found no significant differences in postoperative mortality rates between the VA and private hospital systems for 105 of the 113 surgical procedures or procedure groups. VA postoperative mortality rates that were higher than those in private hospitals were found for suture of ulcer, revision of gastric anastomosis, small-to-small intestinal anastomosis, appendectomy, and reclosure of postoperative disruption of abdominal wall (p = 0.05). Vascular bypass surgery, portal systemic venous shunt, and esophageal surgery showed a significantly lower postoperative mortality in the VA as compared with that in private hospitals (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VA postoperative mortality in 113 surgical procedures or procedure groups is comparable to that in private hospitals.