Postoperative complications after gastrointestinal pediatric surgical procedures: outcomes and socio-demographic risk factors.

BACKGROUND

Several socio-demographic characteristics are associated with complications following certain pediatric surgical procedures. In this comprehensive study, we sought to determine socio-demographic risk factors and resource utilization of children with complications after common pediatric surgical procedures.

METHODS

We performed a population-based cohort study utilizing the 2016 Healthcare Cost and Use Project Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) to identify and characterize pediatric patients (age 0-21 years) in the United States with common inpatient pediatric gastrointestinal surgical procedures: appendectomy, cholecystectomy, colonic resection, pyloromyotomy and small bowel resection. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify socio-demographic predictors of postoperative complications. Length of stay and hospitalization costs for patients with and without postoperative complications were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 66,157 pediatric surgical hospitalizations were identified. Of these patients, 2,009 had postoperative complications. Male sex, young age, African American and Native American race and treatment in a rural hospital were associated with significantly greater odds of postoperative complications. Mean length of stay was 4.58 days greater and mean total costs were $11,151 (US dollars) higher in the complication cohort compared with patients without complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative complications following inpatient pediatric gastrointestinal surgery were linked to elevated healthcare-related expenditure. The identified socio-demographic risk factors should be considered in the risk stratification before pediatric surgical procedures. Targeted interventions are required to reduce preventable complications and surgical disparities.