Association of Postoperative Complications with Hospital Costs and Length of Stay in a Tertiary Care Centre

Medical complications after surgery are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. There are few studies, however, assessing the impact of common postoperative complications on health care resource utilization. We determined hospital costs and length of stay in all patients admitted for a surgical procedure at a single tertiary care centre (1996 to 1998). Of 7,457 patients who underwent noncardiac surgery, 6.9% developed at least 1 postoperative complication. Medical complications after surgery were associated with increased hospital costs by 78% and length of stay by 114%. Postoperative complications consume considerable health care resources. Initiatives targeting prevention of these events could significantly reduce overall costs of care and improve patient quality of care.