Does Hispanic ethnicity play a role in outcomes for diverticular surgery in the USA?

• Published in: BMJ open gastroenterology Vol. 10; no. 1; p. e001215
• Main Authors: Kelley, Jesse K, Kelly, Kathrine, Reed, Charles, Winkler, Nathan, Parker, Jessica, Ogilvie, James
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 02.12.2023; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; Age; Body mass index; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Classification; Colon; COLORECTAL DISEASES; COLORECTAL SURGERY; Diabetes; DIVERTICULAR DISEASE; Diverticulitis; Diverticulitis - complications; Diverticulitis - epidemiology; Diverticulitis - ethnology; Diverticulitis - surgery; Ethnicity; Hispanic or Latino; Hispanic people; Humans; Hypertension; Laparoscopy; Laparoscopy - adverse effects; Length of stay; Medical personnel; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Mortality; Patients; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Steroids; Surgery; United States - epidemiology; Variables; White people; Young Adult; United States; United States > US; COLORECTAL SURGERY; DIVERTICULAR DISEASE; COLORECTAL DISEASES
• ISSN: 2054-4774; 2054-4774
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjgast-2023-001215

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate whether origins of ethnicity affect the outcomes of surgery for diverticulitis in the USA.DesignThe American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Programme database from 2008 to 2017 was used to identify patients undergoing colectomy for diverticulitis. Patient demographics, comorbidities, procedural details and outcomes were captured and compared by ethnicity status.ResultsA total of 375 311 surgeries for diverticulitis were included in the final analysis. The average age of patients undergoing surgery for diverticulitis remained consistent over the time frame of the study (62 years), although the percentage of younger patients (age 18–39 years) rose slightly from 7.8% in 2008 to 8.6% in 2017. The percentage of surgical patients with Hispanic ethnicity increased from 3.7% in 2008 to 6.6% of patients in 2017. Hispanic patients were younger than their non-Hispanic counterparts (57 years vs 62 years, p<0.01) at time of surgery. There were statistically significant differences in the proportion of laparoscopic cases (51% vs 49%, p<0.01), elective cases (62% vs 66%, p<0.01) and the unadjusted rate of postoperative mortality (2.8% vs 3.4%, p<0.01) between Hispanic patients compared with non-Hispanic patients, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression models did not identify Hispanic ethnicity as a significant predictor for increased morbidity (p=0.13) or mortality (p=0.80).ConclusionDespite a significant younger population undergoing surgery for diverticulitis, Hispanic ethnicity was not associated with increased rates of emergent surgery, open surgery or postoperative complications compared with a similar non-Hispanic population.