[Surgical quality registries: large room for improvement if they should be used for analyses of life style risk factors and the effect of preoperative initiatives on postoperative complications].

Surgical quality registries: large room for improvement if they should be used for analyses of life style risk factors and the effect of preoperative initiatives on postoperative complications Tobacco, alcohol, malnutrition, overweight and physical inactivity increase postoperative morbidity. Preoperative intervention has been shown to improve the outcome significantly. The aim was to investigate if these lifestyle risk factors were reported in the Swedish national surgical quality registries together with preoperative interventions and postoperative complications. Altogether, 44 registers reporting on surgical procedures were identified. Preoperative documentation existed in about half of the registries, but relevant health promoting intervention was not documented. Postoperative complications were reported with varying degrees. No registry had complete reporting of preoperative lifestyle risk factors, related intervention and postoperative complications. For most registries, there is a large room for improvement if they should be used for analyses of risk factors and the effect of implementation of preoperative initiatives on postoperative complications.