Factors affecting readmission rates after pancreatectomy

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Gastroenterology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Pancreatectomy has a historically high readmission rate of approximately 20%.
• Hospital readmissions increase patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.
• Identifying readmission predictors is crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing system burden.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with 30-day readmission after pancreatectomy for malignancy.
• To provide data for targeted interventions to reduce pancreatectomy readmission rates.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of adult pancreatectomy procedures for malignancy (2005-2011) from the California State Inpatient Database.
• Descriptive analysis to assess associations between baseline variables and readmission.
• Logistic regression to identify independent predictors of readmission after adjusting for patient characteristics.

Main Results:

• Of 4262 patients, 843 (19.8%) were readmitted within 30 days.
• Increased readmission risk was associated with male sex, Hispanic ethnicity, Medicare insurance, initial length of stay >11 days, discharge to a skilled nursing facility, and chronic anemia.
• Most readmissions (within 15 days) did not vary by year.

Conclusions:

• Pancreatectomy readmissions are multifactorial.
• Preoperative optimization, minimizing postoperative complications, and multidisciplinary team evaluation may reduce readmission rates.