Social deprivation and morbidity and mortality after surgery: a UK national observational cohort study

Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with poor surgical outcomes. We assessed associations between deprivation and postoperative morbidity and mortality in a UK-wide surgical cohort.

We analysed UK data from the Second Sprint National Anaesthesia Project: Epidemiology of Critical Care provision after Surgery (SNAP-2: EpiCCS), a prospective non-consenting cohort study of adults undergoing elective and emergency inpatient noncardiac surgery. Socioeconomic deprivation was reported using the standardised aggregate scale, Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD; IMD1: most deprived, IMD5: least deprived). Multivariable mixed effects logistic regression was used to model the association between deprivation and postoperative outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders.

Of the 18 901 patients included, those in more deprived groups were younger, had higher disease prevalence, and had greater illness severity. Morbidity, as measured by the Post-Operative Morbidity Survey, was reported in 13.7% at day 7, and in-hospital 30-day mortality was 1.3%. Adjusting for patient characteristics and surgical factors, the odds ratios (ORs) for morbidity at day 7 were 1.26 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.09-1.47) for IMD2 and 1.32 (95% CI: 1.13-1.53) for IMD1, compared with IMD5. Mortality risk was also higher: OR 1.75 (95% CI: 1.12-1.73) for IMD2 and OR 1.90 (95% CI: 1.22-2.95) for IMD1. However, after adjusting for markers of preoperative physical status and comorbidities, the association between deprivation and outcomes was attenuated.

Socioeconomic deprivation is associated with short-term postoperative morbidity and mortality. This association might relate to poorer baseline fitness among people living in socioeconomically deprived areas, highlighting opportunities for targeted preoperative optimisation.