Patterns of readmission among the elderly after hepatopancreatobiliary surgery

Background: The objective of this study was to examine risk factors and outcomes of hospital readmission following complex hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery among the elderly. Methods: The Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried for patients >= 60 years who underwent HPB surgery during 2010-2015. Results: The incidence of 30- and 90-day readmission was similar among patients 60-74 vs. >= 75 (P > 0.05). Patients age 60-74 years with >= 2 comorbidities had an increased odds of 30-day (OR 1.13, p = 0.021) and 90-day (OR 1.13, p = 0.005) readmission. Patients >= 75 years with >= 2 comorbidities had the highest in-hospital mortality (5%) whereas patients 60-74 years with 0 or 1 comorbidity had the lowest in-hospital mortality on readmission (3%). Conclusion: Following an HPB procedure, roughly 1 in 7 elderly patients were readmitted within 30 days and 1 in 4 patients within 90 days. Elderly patients with multiple comorbidities were more likely to be readmitted at non-index hospitals. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.