Within 30 days of a surgery, 11.6% of patients over 65 are readmitted to a hospital. That more than doubles after 180 days following a major surgery, in which 27.6% return to the hospital, according to a study led by researchers from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.
These rates are even higher for patients who are considered "frail" or who have probable dementia, according to the study, which was published Feb. 28 in JAMA. Within 180 days post-op, 36.9% of patients considered "frail" were readmitted to a hospital and 39% of patients with probable dementia were as well.
These results show that "two important geriatric conditions have potential value in identifying increased risk of longer-term hospital readmissions after major surgery in community-living older U.S. residents," according to researchers.