Logo image
A comparison of bariatric surgery in hospitals with and without ICU: a linked data cohort study
Journal article   Peer reviewed

A comparison of bariatric surgery in hospitals with and without ICU: a linked data cohort study

D.J.R. Morgan and K.M. Ho
Obesity Surgery, Vol.26(2), pp.313-320
2016
url
Link to Published Version *Subscription may be requiredView

Abstract

Background: It is uncertain whether bariatric surgery can be safely performed in secondary hospitals without on-site intensive care unit (ICU) support. This study describes the outcomes of elective bariatric surgery patients who required inter-hospital transfers for unplanned ICU management, extrapolating this as a parameter for secondary hospital safety after bariatric surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective, statewide, population-based, linked data cohort study capturing all adult bariatric surgery patients for an entire Australian state between 2007 and 2011 (n = 12,062) with minimum 12-month follow-up. Results: In secondary hospitals, 2663 (22.1 %) bariatric patients were operated on, with the majority (n = 2553) undergoing sleeve gastrectomies (SG) or adjustable gastric bands (LAGB). Forty-two patients (including 19 LAGB and 20 SG) required inter-hospital transfer to a tertiary hospital for unplanned ICU care (1.6 %, 95 % confidence interval 1.2–2.1), mainly due to surgical complications. Inter-hospital transfers incurred two deaths, both following sleeve gastrectomies. When compared to patients requiring unplanned ICU admissions after bariatric surgery in tertiary hospitals with an on-site ICU (n = 155), there was no difference in their demographic parameters, comorbid illnesses, or mortality (4.8 vs 3.9 %, p = 0.68). The mortality following bariatric procedures both statewide (0.2 %) and in secondary hospitals (0.2 %) was both uncommon and comparable. Conclusions: Statewide inter-hospital transfers for unplanned ICU care from secondary hospitals were low. Inter-hospital transfer mortality was comparable to a similar bariatric cohort requiring unplanned ICU care after surgery in a tertiary hospital. This suggests that certain bariatric procedures can be safely done in most secondary hospitals where elective ICU admission is deemed unnecessary.

Details

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Metrics

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.44 Nutrition & Dietetics
1.44.897 Bariatric Surgery
Web Of Science research areas
Surgery
ESI research areas
Clinical Medicine
Logo image