Sex differences in readmission rate after cardiac surgery

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Health Services Research
• Sex Differences in Medicine

Background:

• The influence of sex on hospital readmission rates after cardiac surgery remains incompletely understood.
• Investigating sex-specific disparities is crucial for optimizing post-operative care and patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze sex-specific differences in 30-day hospital readmission rates after major cardiac surgery.
• To identify underlying factors contributing to any observed sex-based variations in readmission.

Main Methods:

• A single-center study included patients undergoing major cardiac surgery (excluding specific complex cases) between January 2012 and September 2020.
• Readmission reasons were adjudicated using medical records; incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated for females versus males.
• Negative binomial regression was used for crude and adjusted analyses, controlling for potential confounding factors like EuroSCORE 2.

Main Results:

• The analysis included 4,868 patients, with females comprising 24%. Female patients were older and had fewer cardiovascular risk factors than men.
• 30-day readmission rates were comparable between sexes (7.0% for females vs. 8.7% for males, p=0.078).
• Cardiac-related readmissions and infections were the most common reasons for readmission in both groups. Adjusted analyses showed robust findings, with IRR for females at 0.78 (CI 0.61 to 1.0, p=0.051).

Conclusions:

• Hospital readmission rates and the primary reasons for 30-day readmission after major cardiac surgery were found to be similar between men and women.
• These findings suggest that sex may not be a significant independent predictor of 30-day readmission following major cardiac surgery.