Racial disparities in surgical outcomes of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) has not historically been a focus of racial health disparities research. IBD has been increasing in the black community. We hypothesized that outcomes following surgery would be worse for black patients.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of death and serious morbidity (DSM) of patients undergoing surgery for IBD was performed using data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP 2011–2014). Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to evaluate associations between race and outcomes.

Results

Among 14,679 IBD patients, the overall rate of DSM was 20.3% (white: 19.3%, black 27.0%, other 23.8%, p?<?0.001). After adjustment, black patients remained at increased risk of DSM compared white patients (OR: 1.37; 95% CI 1.14–1.64).

Conclusions

Black patients are at increased risk of post-operative DSM following surgery for IBD. The elevated rates of DSM are not explained by traditional risk factors like obesity, ASA class, emergent surgery, or stoma creation.