Unplanned readmissions after vascular surgery

ObjectiveExisting literature on readmission after vascular surgery is limited. The upcoming reduction in Medicare reimbursement for institutions with high readmission rates mandates an accurate understanding of this issue. In this study, we characterize the frequency and causes of 30-day unplanned readmissions after elective vascular surgery.MethodsPatients who underwent elective carotid endarterectomy (CEA), endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), open abdominal aortic aneurysm (oAAA) repair, or infrainguinal bypass grafting (BPG) were identified from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) 2011 database (n = 11,246). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine variables that contributed to 30-day unplanned readmissions for each surgery type.ResultsThe unadjusted unplanned readmission rates after the four vascular procedures ranged from 6.5% for CEA to 15.7% for BPG. In multivariable analyses, patient comorbidities were associated with unplanned readmission after BPG and CEA (P < .05), whereas postoperative complications were more consistently associated with unplanned readmission after EVAR and oAAA repair (P < .05). For all procedures, complications leading to readmission developed more frequently after discharge. Thirty-day mortality was significantly higher in readmitted patients after BPG (1.9% vs 0.3%), EVAR (3.9% vs 0.1%), and CEA (2.2% vs 0.2%; P < .001 for each), but not after oAAA repair.ConclusionsSelect comorbidities and postoperative complications contribute to unplanned readmissions after vascular surgery. The characteristics of readmitted patients vary with the type of procedure. Interventions designed to mitigate these factors have the potential to reduce unplanned readmissions but likely need to vary with the type of vascular treatment

A comparison of open surgery versus endovascular repair of unstable ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms

ObjectiveTwo randomized trials to date have compared open surgery (OS) and endovascular (EVAR) repair for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA); however, neither addressed optimal management of unstable patients. Single-center reports have produced conflicting data regarding the superiority of one vs the other, with the lack of statistical power due to low patient numbers. Furthermore, previous studies have not delineated between the outcomes of stable patients with a contained rupture vs those patients with instability. Our objective was to compare 30-day outcomes in patients undergoing OS vs EVAR for all rAAAs, focusing specifically on patients with instability.MethodsPatients who underwent repair of rAAA were identified from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database (2005 to 2010). Unstable patients with rupture were identified as those who were American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification 4 or 5 requiring emergency repair with at least one of the following: preoperative shock, preoperative transfusion of >4 units, preoperative intubation, or preoperative coma or impaired sensorium. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.ResultsOf the 1447 patients with rAAA, 65.5% underwent OS and 34.5% EVAR. Forty-five percent were unstable, and for these patients, OS was performed in 71.3% and EVAR in 28.7%. The 30-day mortality rate was 47.9% (OS, 52.8%; EVAR, 35.6%; P < .0001) for unstable rAAAs and was 22.4% for stable rAAAs (OS, 26.3%; EVAR, 16.4%; P = .001). Amongst patients with unstable rAAA, 26% had a myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest ≤30 days (OS, 29.0%; EVAR, 19.1%; P = .006), and 17% needed postoperative dialysis (OS, 18.7%; EVAR, 12.8%; P = .04). Amongst patients with stable rAAA, 13.6% had a myocardial infarction or cardiac arrest ≤30 days (OS, 14.9%; EVAR, 11.6%; P = .20), and 11.5% needed postoperative dialysis (OS, 13.3%; EVAR, 8.7%; P = .047). Multivariable analyses showed OS was a predictor of 30-day mortality for unstable rAAA (odds ratio, 1.74; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-2.62) and stable rAAA (odds ratio, 1.64; 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.43).ConclusionsApproximately one-third of patients treated for rAAA undergo EVAR in NSQIP participating hospitals. Not surprisingly, unstable patients have less favorable outcomes. In both stable and unstable rAAA patients, EVAR is associated with a diminished 30-day mortality and morbidity