Low Educational Status, Smoking, and Multidisciplinary Team Experience Predict Hospital Length of Stay After Bariatric Surgery

Objective: The objective of the present study was to identify new risk factors associated with longer hospitalization following bariatric surgery. Methods: Patient clinical, social, and biochemical data in addition to multidisciplinary team experience were analyzed in a cohort that included all patients undergoing bariatric surgery at our hospital. The primary outcome was length of hospital stay (LOS). Mortality was recorded to validate the obesity surgery mortality risk score (OS-MRS). Results: This study included 299 sequential patients, 41 ± 10 years of age, and BMI of 50 ± 8 kg/m2 who underwent bariatric surgery. Two thirds (196) of patients were hypertensive, a third (86) were diabetic and a third (91) were current or former smokers. Overall, LOS was 8 ± 5 days. The predictors of a longer LOS were smoking (P < 0.05) and less multidisciplinary team experience (P < 0.05). Looking at only the last three years of data, LOS was 6 ± 5 days, and the predictors of a longer LOS were low educational attainment (P < 0.02) and smoking (P < 0.01) but not team experience. The global mortality was 2.6%, with the OS-MRS identifying a high-risk group. Conclusion: Excluding the initial learning phase, longer LOS independent predictors were patient low educational attainment and smoking. These predictors can help guide care to reduce complications.