Identifiable risk factors for thirty-day complications following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Shoulder arthroscopy has increased in frequency over the past decade, with rotator cuff repair comprising the majority of cases performed. Prior studies have detailed risk factors for 30-day complications and readmission rates after arthroscopic shoulder surgery using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, but no study has specifically looked at arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the risk factors for 30-day complications following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using the NSQIP database.

The NSQIP database was queried for all patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from 2006-2015. Demographics and thirty-day outcomes for these patients were analyzed using univariate analyses and multivariate regression analysis to determine the risk factors for complications.

21,143 patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, with 147 patients (0.70%) having a complication within 30-days. Univariate analysis found age >65 (p = 0.0028), male gender (p = 0.0053), elevated BMI (p = 0.0054), ASA class >2 (p < 0.0001), history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p < 0.0001), hypertension (p < 0.0002), dyspnea (p < 0.0001), steroid use (p = 0.0350), and operative time >90 min (p = 0.0316) to be associated with increased risk of complications. Multivariate analysis found female sex to be protective or complication (OR 0.56, p = 0.0017), while American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) class >2 (OR 1.51, p = 0.0335) and history of COPD (OR 2.41, p = 0.0030) and dyspnea (OR 1.89, p = 0.0359) to be risk factors for complication. The most common complication is venothromboembolic events, accounting for 36.7% of all complications.

Male sex, ASA class > 2, and history of COPD and dyspnea were independent risk factors for thirty-day complications following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

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