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Operative mortality rate and surgery for colorectal cancer
The British Journal of Surgery
|July 1, 1988
Summary
Different definitions of operative mortality rate yield varied results. A standard definition, "death within 30 days of the last operation," best reflects true surgical outcomes for colorectal cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Colorectal Surgery
- Surgical Outcomes Research
Background:
- Discrepancies exist in how operative mortality rates are defined and reported in surgical literature.
- Lack of a standardized definition complicates the comparison of surgical outcomes across studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of different operative mortality rate definitions on reported outcomes in colorectal carcinoma surgery.
- To identify the most accurate definition of operative mortality for reflecting true surgical deaths.
Main Methods:
- Applied four distinct definitions of operative mortality rate to a series of 578 colorectal carcinoma patients.
- Analyzed the variation in calculated mortality rates based on the chosen definition.
Main Results:
- Operative mortality rates ranged from 7.3% to 12.2% depending on the definition employed.
- The definition 'death within 30 days of the last operation' emerged as the most reliable indicator of true operative mortality.
Conclusions:
- The definition of operative mortality significantly influences reported surgical outcomes.
- Adoption of a standardized definition, specifically 'death within 30 days of the last operation,' is recommended for consistent reporting in colorectal surgery and beyond.