Does Day of Week of Surgery Influence 30-Day Risk for Death?

Evidence suggests that mortality is higher among patients who undergo emergency surgery on Fridays and weekends than on other days. In this retrospective analysis, investigators assessed the relation between day of elective surgery and 30-day mortality among patients who underwent elective procedures in public hospitals in England.

From 2008 to 2011 (4.1 million elective inpatient surgical procedures), 30-day mortality was 6.7 per 1000 procedures. About 5% of procedures were performed on weekends. Compared with Monday procedures, the adjusted odds ratio for death for all elective procedures combined was 7% higher on Tuesdays; procedures on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and weekends carried excess risks of 15%, 21%, 44%, and 82%, respective…