Racial Disparities in Surgery: A Cross-Specialty Matched Comparison Between Black and White Patients

To determine if Black race is associated with worse short-term postoperative morbidity and mortality when compared to White race in a contemporary, cross-specialty-matched cohort.

Growing evidence suggests poorer outcomes for Black patients undergoing surgery.

A retrospective analysis was conducted comprising of all patients undergoing surgery in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program dataset between 2012 and 2018. One-to-one coarsened exact matching was conducted between Black and White patients. Primary outcome was rate of 30-day morbidity and mortality.

After 1:1 matching, 615,118 patients were identified. Black race was associated with increased rate of all-cause morbidity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.13, P < 0.001) and mortality (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.31, P = 0.039). Black race was associated with increased risk of re-intubation (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.21-1.48, P < 0.001), pulmonary embolism (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.40-1.71, P < 0.001), failure to wean from ventilator for >48 hours (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.29, P < 0.001), progressive renal insufficiency (OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.43-1.86, P < 0.001), acute renal failure (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.16-1.66, P < 0.001), cardiac arrest (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.24-1.76 P < 0.001), bleeding requiring transfusion (OR = 1.39, 95% CI 1.34-1.43, P < 0.001), DVT/thrombophlebitis (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.14-1.35, P < 0.001), and sepsis/septic shock (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.15, P < 0.001). Black patients were also more likely to have a readmission (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.10-1.16, P < 0.001), discharge to a rehabilitation center (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.66-1.80, P < 0.001) or facility other than home (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.16-1.23, P < 0.001).

This contemporary matched analysis demonstrates an association with increased morbidity, mortality, and readmissions for Black patients across surgical procedures and specialties.