To assess short-term outcomes of non-elective hiatal hernia repair based on the surgical specialty (general vs. thoracic surgeons) using a national cohort.
Approach:
Study Design: Retrospective cohort study utilizing the ACS–NSQIP database from 2012 to 2024, focusing on urgent or emergent hiatal hernia repairs.
Data Collection: Included demographic, clinical characteristics, and postoperative outcomes, excluding elective and non-primary repairs.
Outcome Measures: Evaluated morbidity, mortality, readmission, reoperation rates, and length of hospital stay, comparing outcomes by surgical specialty.
Key Findings:
Emergent hiatal hernia repairs are associated with higher morbidity compared to elective repairs.
No significant differences in outcomes were found between general and thoracic surgeons for emergency repairs.
The study utilized a large, nationally representative cohort to enhance the validity of findings.
Limitations:
The study is retrospective and may be subject to selection bias.
Data limitations from the ACS–NSQIP database may affect the comprehensiveness of outcomes assessed.
