Non-Cardiac Perioperative Mortality Factors at a Single Urban Veterans Affairs Medical Center

The Veterans affairs (VA) surgical quality improvement program was established to evaluate the quality of VA surgical care to over nine million United States Veterans. Patient demographics vary by region, with urban areas correlating with higher mortality rates. This study attempts to determine the factors associated with 30-day mortality at a single VA medical center in an urban setting. Patients included in the study were at least 18 years of age and underwent a surgical procedure between January 2013 and June 2023. Baseline demographics included preoperative comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) class, and preoperative lab values. Clinical outcomes included postoperative mortality within 30 days of the procedure. Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA, and multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine relationships, using P < .05 to determine significance. A total of 11,547 patients with complete data were included, of which 92 patients (0.8%) died within 30 days of surgery. A higher preoperative hematocrit was protective against 30-day mortality. A perioperative transfusion, bleeding disorder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), history of a myocardial infarction, higher ASA class, and an emergency procedure all increased the likelihood of perioperative mortality. Veterans who seek surgical care at Veterans Health Administration centers receive high quality care with a low mortality rate. Identifying risk factors for perioperative mortality provides the opportunity to stratify those veterans at highest risk.