Risk Factors for Emergency Department Visits After Hysterectomy for Benign Disease

To identify the incidence, indications, and risk factors for emergency department visits that do not result in readmission within 30 days of hysterectomy for benign disease.

We conducted a secondary data analysis of hysterectomies for benign disease using the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative, a statewide group of hospitals that voluntarily reports perioperative outcomes. Hysterectomies for benign disease were abstracted from January 1, 2013, to July 2, 2014. We examined the incidence of emergency department visits within 30 days after hysterectomy for benign disease and constructed a multivariable logistic regression model to identify risk factors for these visits. We focused on emergency department visits that did not result in readmission because they are more likely to represent avoidable encounters.

Among the 10,274 women who underwent hysterectomy for benign disease during the study period, 932 (9.1%) presented to the emergency department and were not readmitted to the hospital. Based on a multivariable regression model, risk factors for emergency department visits after hysterectomy for benign disease were younger age, higher parity, Medicaid or self-pay insurance, prior venous thromboembolism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, preoperative surgical indication of chronic pelvic pain, and postoperative day 1 pain scores greater than 4 on a 0-10 numeric rating scale. The most common primary emergency department International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision diagnoses were for pain (29.5% [n=275]), gastrointestinal (12.8% [n=118]), and genitourinary (10.7% [n=99]) complaints.

Approximately 1 in 11 women present to the emergency department, but do not result in readmission within 30 days of hysterectomy for benign disease. Emergency department visits might be avoided with expanded perioperative education and improved communication pathways for high-risk patients.