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Kidney Week

Abstract: SA-PO1158

Postsurgical Outcomes in Veterans with Advanced CKD vs. ESKD on Chronic Dialysis

Session Information

Category: CKD (Non-Dialysis)

  • 2302 CKD (Non-Dialysis): Clinical, Outcomes, and Trials

Authors

  • Mallory, Austin L., University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
  • Sarrazin, Mary Vaughan, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
  • Yamada, Masaaki, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
  • Jalal, Diana I., University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
  • Griffin, Benjamin R., University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Background

Patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) have poor post-surgical outcomes, perhaps due in part to negative uremic impacts on immune function, hemostasis, and wound healing. We hypothesized that end stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients on chronic dialysis would have better post-surgical outcomes due to reduced uremic toxin burden compared to patients with advanced CKD, particularly for post-surgical infection and bleeding. We compared outcomes following surgery between patients with advanced CKD not on chronic dialysis to patients with ESKD on chronic dialysis within the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Methods

We analyzed data from the VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program (VASQIP) database from 2013 to 2019. Veterans with an eGFR <20 mL/min based on pre-operative creatinine or ESKD on chronic dialysis were included. Exclusion criteria were emergent surgery, pre-operative acute kidney injury, or pre-operative sepsis. Outcomes including mortality, infection, cardiac events, and hematologic and respiratory complications were assessed over a 30-day period from surgery. The two groups were compared using a General Estimating Equation (GEE) model that adjusted for age, comorbidities, frailty, urgent case status, and operative stress score.

Results

A total of 3,097 patients were included, of which 643 had CKD with eGFR <20 mL/min and 2,454 had ESKD. The ESKD patients were younger but had higher frailty and comorbidity scores. After adjustments, CKD patients had 56% increased odds of having a post-surgical complication (Table).

Conclusion

Veterans with advanced CKD had higher rates of post-surgical complications than Veterans with ESKD on chronic dialysis, particularly cardiac and infectious complications. It is possible that uremic burden may contribute to poor post-surgical outcomes in advanced CKD, though additional research is needed to further understand this association.

Outcome (CKD vs ESKD)Adjusted Odds Ratio95% Confidence IntervalP-value
30-Day Mortality1.220.74 - 2.030.4
30-day Readmission0.910.72 – 1.140.4
Any Post-Surgical Complication1.561.23 – 1.970.0003
Adverse Cardiac Events1.671.09 – 2.550.02
Post-Surgical Infections1.371.00 – 1.860.048
Hematologic Complications0.810.27 – 2.400.7
Respiratory Complications0.990.58 – 1.700.9