The following is a summary of “Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery in the United States: An Analysis of the ACS-NSQIP Clinical Registry,” published in the APRIL 2023 issue of Urology by Rodríguez, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to examine the types of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgeries performed and assess the morbidity and mortality rates among patients of different races and ethnicities in the United States.
The study utilized data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Patients who underwent POP procedures were identified and stratified based on race and ethnicity. Differences in baseline comorbidities and POP repair distribution were compared among racial and ethnic groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate racial and ethnic disparities in complications, readmissions, reoperations, and mortality rates.
A total of 50,561 patients who underwent primary POP repair procedures between 2012 and 2017 were included in the study. The majority of patients were white (89.8%), followed by black (5.5%) and other races/ethnicities (4.7%). Hispanics accounted for only 11.2% of the cohort. Black and Hispanic patients were younger, had higher BMI, and had more comorbidities than white patients. Significant differences were observed in the POP procedures performed based on race and ethnicity. Although there were no significant differences in overall complication rates, the specific types of complications varied among different racial and ethnic groups. Neither race nor ethnicity was a significant predictor of reoperation or mortality.
The study highlighted notable racial and ethnic disparities in comorbidities and the types of POP surgeries performed among women undergoing POP surgery in the United States. While black patients may be at a higher risk of readmission, there were no observed differences in complication rates, reoperation rates, or mortality rates based on race and ethnicity.
Source: goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(23)00064-X/fulltext