[Effect of time of operation and clinic organization on postoperative complications]

During a 1-year period 1082 general surgical interventions were prospectively documented and their complication rates evaluated by a score system. Factors responsible for the complication rates and possibly depending on hospital organization should be analysed. The complication rates were influenced by the selection of the weekday, the length of operation time and the extent of discrepancy between planned and required operation time. Furthermore, the complication rates paralleled the extent of utilization of the operation theatre during a workday. The complication rates were not affected by the beginning of operation and the operation month as well as the monthly utilization of the operation theatres. Whether the weather did influence the complication rates could not be decided: higher complication rates were found in the summer as compared to the winter period, but the complication score was independent of the level of the outside temperature and humidity.