Postoperative outcomes following preweekend surgery (4 March 2025)

Summary

The phenomenon of a 'weekend effect' refers to a higher potential for adverse outcomes in patients receiving care over the weekend. Few prior studies have comprehensively investigated the effects of postoperative weekend care on surgical outcomes in a generalisable cohort.

The aim of this study was to examine differences in short-term and long-term postoperative outcomes of patients undergoing surgical procedures immediately before vs after the weekend.

Content

In a cohort study involving 429 691 patients undergoing 25 common surgical procedures in Ontario, Canada, those who underwent surgery immediately before the weekend experienced a statistically significant increase in the composite outcome of death, complications, and readmissions at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year compared with those treated after the weekend.

These findings suggest that patients treated before the weekend are at increased risk of complications, emphasising the need for further investigation into processes of surgical care to ensure consistent high-quality care and patient outcomes.

It is important for healthcare systems to assess how this phenomenon may impact their practices to ensure that patients receive excellent care irrespective of the day.