BACKGROUND:
Inflammatory bowel disease patients are challenging to manage peri-operatively due to disease complexity and multiple comorbidities.
OBJECTIVE:
This study aimed to identify if preoperative factors and operation type were associated with extended postoperative length of stay after inflammatory bowel disease-related surgery, defined by 75 th percentile or greater (n = 926, 30.8%).
DESIGN:
This was a cross-sectional study based on a retrospective multicenter database.
SETTING:
The National Surgery Quality Improvement Program-Inflammatory Bowel Disease collaborative captured data from 15 high-volume sites.
PATIENTS:
A total of 3,008 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (1,710 with Crohn’s disease and 1,291 with ulcerative colitis) with a median postoperative length of stay of 4 days (IQR 3-7) from March 2017 to February 2020.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
The primary outcome was extended postoperative length of stay.
RESULTS:
On multivariable logistic regression, increased odds of extended postoperative length of stay were associated with multiple demographic and clinical factors (model p < 0.001, area under ROC curve - 0.85). Clinically significant contributors that increased post-operative length of stay were rectal surgery (vs colon) (OR 2.13, 95% CI: 1.52-2.98), new ileostomy (vs no ileostomy) (OR 1. 50, 95% CI: 1.15-1.97), preoperative hospitalization (OR 13.45, 95% CI: 10.15-17.84), non-home discharge (OR 4.78, 95% CI: 2.27-10.08), hypoalbuminemia (OR 1.66, 95% CI: 1.27-2.18), and bleeding disorder (OR 2.42, 95% CI: 1.22-4.82).
LIMITATIONS:
Retrospective review of only high-volume centers.
CONCLUSIONS:
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease who were preoperatively hospitalized, who had non-home discharge, and who underwent rectal surgery had the highest odds of extended postoperative length of stay. Associated patient characteristics included bleeding disorder, hypoalbuminemia and ASA classes 3-5. Chronic corticosteroid, immunologic, small molecule and biologic agent use were not significant on multivariable analysis.