Analysis of Emergency Department Visits and Unplanned Readmission After Bariatric Surgery: An Experience From a Tertiary Referral Center.

Abstract

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment of morbid obesity. As the number of bariatric procedures performed has increased, visits to the emergency department (ED) and readmissions have subsequently increased. The present study aimed to assess the rates and indications for of ED visits and readmission after bariatric surgery and to identify the predictors of hospital readmission. This was a retrospective cohort study on patients who underwent bariatric surgery from January 2018 to April 2020. The percentage of ED visits and unplanned readmission was estimated and the indications and management of each were analyzed. The association of age, sex, body mass index, and type of procedure with readmission was assessed. Of 582 patients who underwent bariatric surgery in the study period, 204 (35%) required ED visits, and 42 (7.2%) required readmission. The mean age of patients was 33 years, and the mean body mass index was 43 kg/m2. The most common indication for ED visits was abdominal pain (41.2%). In all, 64.8% of ED visits and 43% of readmissions were unrelated to bariatric surgery complications. A total of 94.1% of patients who required ED visits and 71.4% of readmitted patients were managed conservatively. The most common procedure followed by readmission was laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (50%) then one-anastomosis gastric bypass (21.4%). Age, sex, body mass index, and procedure type were not significantly associated with higher readmission. The rates of ED visits and readmission in our cohort were 35% and 7.2%, respectively. Most cases of ED visits were not related to adverse effects of bariatric surgery and the majority of which were managed conservatively.