Readmissions Following Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Experience From a Tertiary Care Center in India

Background An enhanced recovery approach in surgery helps early postoperative discharge. With the decreasing trend of morbidity and mortality in recent times in patients undergoing complex procedures such as pancreaticoduodenectomy, readmissions are the next major concern. The causes and outcomes of these readmissions should be investigated for their impact on patient care and prevention. Methodology A total of 997 patients discharged after pancreaticoduodenectomy from a tertiary care center in northern India, between 1989 and 2021, were studied retrospectively to assess the readmission rate for sequelae after pancreaticoduodenectomy. The causes, interventions, outcomes, and predictive factors were studied. Results A total of 103 (10.3%) patients required readmission for sequelae after pancreaticoduodenectomy, and 52 (50.4%) patients required interventions. The most common cause for readmission in our study was intra-abdominal collection (n = 23, 22.3%). Of these 103 patients, 63 (61.2%) had good outcomes, 36 (34.9%) had fair outcomes, and four (3.9%) had bad outcomes. Overall, 53 (51.5%) of 103 patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge, most commonly with intra-abdominal collection (16 of 53, 30.1%). Of these 53 patients, 22 (41.5%) required interventions, 34 (64.1%) had good outcomes, and 27 (50.9%) were readmitted within seven days of discharge. Of these 27 patients, 12 (44.4%) required interventions, with 24 (88.8%) experiencing good outcomes. Of the 103 patients, 12 (11.6%) were readmitted between 31 and 90 days, mostly due to external stent, T-tube, or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage-related problems. Overall, 38 (36.9%) of 103 patients were readmitted after 90 days, mostly with incisional hernia and strictured hepaticojejunostomy. Of these 38 patients, 26 (68.4%) required intervention, and 23 (60.5%) had good outcomes. A previous history of cholangitis (odds ratio (OR) = 1.771, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.17-2.67, p = 0.007), postoperative fever (OR = 1.628, 95% CI = 1.081-2.452, p = 0.02), wound infection (OR = 2.011, 95% CI = 1.332-3.035, p = 0.001), and wound dehiscence (OR = 2.136, 95% CI = 1.333-3.423, p = 0.002) predicted readmission on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed a previous history of cholangitis (OR = 1.755, CI = 1.158-2.659, p = 0.008) and wound infection (OR = 1.995, 95% CI = 1.320-2.690, p = 0.001) as factors independently predicting readmission. Conclusions Readmitted patients have high intervention rates and good recovery rates. Readmissions should not be considered a scale for poor healthcare. Patient education, proper management of postoperative complications, and a properly designed discharge care system can help tackle this problem.