Characterizing the preventable emergency department visit after bariatric surgery

Area of Science:

• Bariatric Surgery Outcomes
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Emergency department (ED) visits post-bariatric surgery can be costly and often unnecessary.
• Characterizing these visits is crucial for improving patient care and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patients presenting to the ED after bariatric surgery who could have been managed in an alternative setting.
• To determine risk factors associated with these preventable ED visits.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study at a university hospital identified 131 patients undergoing bariatric surgery who visited the ED within 30 days.
• Preventable ED visits were defined by excluding life-threatening conditions and emergent resource use.
• Patients with preventable visits were matched to controls without ED visits.

Main Results:

• 61% of patients had a preventable ED visit.
• Independent risk factors included anxiolytic prescription at discharge (OR 5.4), electrolyte abnormalities (OR 4.3), leukocytosis (OR 2.2), and prior ED visits (OR 2.0).
• No significant differences in severe complications, reoperation, or patient-reported outcomes were observed between groups.

Conclusions:

• Preventable ED visits are frequent following bariatric surgery.
• Identifying perioperative risk factors can help mitigate unnecessary ED utilization.
• Targeted interventions may reduce costs and improve care pathways for bariatric surgery patients.