If you are planning to have a surgery in the near future, you may want to carefully select your surgery date when you learn to work. According to the study, the surgeries performed on Friday are associated with higher risk of complications compared to other days.
According to a large -scale study published in the Jama Network Open recently, surgical operations on Friday carry 5 percent more risk in terms of unwanted effects such as death, hospitalization and complication. This “weekend effect” occurs significantly especially in optional operations and many surgical branches.
The research analyzed 25 different surgical procedures in Canada on Mondays and Fridays between 2007 and 2019 and examined the data of approximately 430,000 patients. This gigantic data set; Details such as the experience of doctors, the age and the weekend effect on short (30 days), middle (90 days) and long -term (1 year) effects on results. Results confirmed that Friday was the most risky surgery day compared to other days.
So, why is there such a big difference?
Researchers point to several main reasons for this. First, as we approach the weekend, there is a significant decrease in the number of clinical personnel in hospitals; At least this is the case in the USA. This deficiency makes it difficult to detect and intervene in complications. Moreover, it is claimed that there is a higher probability that there are less experienced surgeons in the USA on Fridays. Moreover, the possibility of access and consultation to senior colleagues is decreasing towards the end of the week. This can cause critical problems in postoperative care.
At the weekend, there is usually less resources, tests and intervention options. At the same time, the discharge of patients on Saturday or Sunday is also a lower probability. According to the researchers, when many factors such as inadequate staff, tired personnel and lack of resources come together, it is inevitable to increase risk.
The authors of the research underlines that surgical planning processes of these findings should be re -evaluated. “Health systems should guarantee the perfect care for all patients, regardless of the day of the surgery,” they say.
The study was published on Jama Network Open.
