Superstition in Surgery: A Population-Based Cohort Study to Assess the Association Between Surgery on Friday the 13th and Postoperative Outcomes
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Patients undergoing surgery on Friday the 13th have similar outcomes to those operated on other Fridays. This study found no increased risk of death, readmission, or complications for Friday the 13th surgeries.
Area Of Science
- Medical outcomes research
- Surgical patient safety
- Health psychology
Background
- Patient and provider anxiety surrounding surgery can negatively impact outcomes.
- Superstition, particularly concerning Friday the 13th, can heighten patient anxiety.
- Previous research indicates a link between psychological factors and surgical results.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate if surgical outcomes differ for patients operated on Friday the 13th compared to other Fridays.
- To assess the impact of superstition-related anxiety on surgical patient outcomes.
- To provide evidence-based information on the safety of scheduling elective procedures on potentially inauspicious dates.
Main Methods
- Retrospective, population-based cohort study.
- Inclusion of 19,747 adult patients undergoing common surgical procedures between 2007 and 2019.
- Comparison of outcomes (death, readmission, complications) at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year between Friday the 13th and control Fridays.
Main Results
- 37.2% of surgeries occurred on Friday the 13th (n=7,349), with 62.8% on control Fridays (n=12,398).
- Patient characteristics were comparable between the two groups.
- No statistically significant difference in the composite outcome at 30 days, 90 days, or 1 year was observed between patients operated on Friday the 13th versus control Fridays.
Conclusions
- Scheduling surgery on Friday the 13th does not appear to negatively affect patient outcomes.
- The study provides reassurance that patient superstition does not correlate with adverse surgical events.
- Surgical outcomes are not demonstrably worse when procedures are performed on Friday the 13th compared to other Fridays.
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