Dependent functional status is an independent risk factor for 30-day mortality and morbidities following colectomy for volvulus: An ACS-NSQIP study from the United States

Objectives

Colonic volvulus is a common cause of bowel obstructions and surgery is the definitive treatment. Functional status is often associated with adverse postoperative outcomes but its effect on colectomy for volvulus remained under-explored. This study sought to analyze the effect of functional status on the 30-day outcomes of colectomy for volvulus.

Materials and method

National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) targeted colectomy database from 2012 to 2022 was utilized. Only patients with volvulus as the primary indication for colectomy were included. Thirty-day postoperative outcomes were compared between patients with dependent functional status (DFS) and independent functional status (IFS), adjusted for demographics, baseline characteristics, preoperative preparation, indication for surgery, and operative approaches by multivariable logistic regression.

Results

There were 1,476 patients with DFS (945 partially DFS and 531 fully DFS) and 8,824 (85.67 %) IFS patients who underwent colectomy for volvulus. After multivariable analysis, DFS patients had higher risks of mortality (aOR=1.671, 95 CI=1.37–2.038, p < 0.01), pulmonary complications (aOR=2.166, 95 CI=1.85–2.536, p < 0.01), sepsis (aOR=1.31, 95 CI=1.107–1.551, p < 0.01), prolonged postoperative nothing by mouth (NPO) or nasogastric tube (NGT) use (aOR=1.436, 95 CI=1.269–1.626, p < 0.01), discharge not to home (aOR=3.774, 95 CI=3.23–4.411, p < 0.01), and 30-day readmission (aOR=1.196, 95 CI=1.007–1.42, p = 0.04). Moreover, DFS patients had a longer length of stay (p = 0.01).

Conclusion

DFS was identified as an independent risk factor for increased mortality and complications after colectomy for volvulus. Given the substantial overlap between DFS patients and those who have colonic volvulus, these insights can contribute to preoperative risk assessments and postoperative care in these patients.