Study: Infections are most likely cause of readmission after surgery

Infections are the leading of post-surgical readmissions, according to a new study. Of nearly 500,000 operations examined, 6% of patients were readmitted for surgical complications within a month of the surgery, according to a study published in the February 3 Journal of the American Medical Association.

The top complication leading to readmission was surgical wound infection. The study, led by researcher Karl Bilimoria, MD, at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, looked at weight-loss surgery, removal of all or part of the colon, removal of the uterus, total hip or knee replacement, stomach hernia repair, and bypass surgery of leg arteries.

Read the release here.