Preweekend Surgery Significantly Affects Outcomes, Mortality

Ranganathan S, Riveros C, Tsugawa Y, et al. Postoperative Outcomes following Preweekend Surgery. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(3):e2458794.

Available evidence has shown that complication rates are higher for patients who undergo surgical procedures or receive postoperative care on weekend days. This study attempted to compare short-term and long-term postoperative outcomes for patients undergoing surgical procedures one day before the weekend with patients operated on one day after the weekend.

Population-based data for adult Canadian patients (n = 429,691) were analyzed; the primary outcome of interest was a composite of death, readmission, and complications at 30 days, 90 days, and 1 year after the index procedure.

The data analysis showed that the risks of the composite outcome and overall mortality were significantly higher in the pre-weekend group at all time points.

The authors noted that these findings emphasized the need for investigation and improvement of patient care processes during weekend days so that excellent patient outcomes can be achieved.