Readmissions after radical nephrectomy in a national cohort

To analyze the factors and costs associated with 30-day readmissions for patients undergoing radical nephrectomy.

We used the 2014 Nationwide Readmission Database to identify adults who underwent radical nephrectomy for renal cancer, stratified by surgical approach. We determined patient factors associated with readmission rates, diagnoses, and costs using multivariate logistic regression.

Among 19,523 individuals, the 30-day readmission rate was 7.7% (n = 1,506). On multivariate regression, odds of readmission were significantly increased with age ≥75 in those who underwent open nephrectomy (OR: 1.35; 95%CI: 1.03-1.78). Subjects with a Charlson comorbidity score ≥3 had significantly higher rates of readmission regardless of surgical approach (Open RN - OR: 1.85; 95%CI: 1.33-2.56; Lap RN - OR: 1.99; 95%CI 1.10-3.59; Robotic RN - OR: 2.18; 95%CI: 1.23-3.86). Common reasons for readmission were gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, urinary tract infections, and wound complications across all surgical approaches. The mean cost per readmission was as high as 126% ($20,357) of the mean index admission cost.

One in 13 adults undergoing radical nephrectomy is readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Associated readmission cost is up to 1.26 times the cost of index admission. Our findings may inform efforts aiming to reduce hospital readmissions and curtail healthcare costs.