Patient demographics and their impact on discharge patterns following cardiac valve surgery

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this study is to find factors associated with increased length of stay and type of patient disposition after cardiac valve surgery

Methods

The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database for the most recent year available was queried to identify patients who had undergone non-endovascular cardiac valve surgery. Patient demographics including gender, race, and age, were analyzed. Primary outcomes were length of stay and patient disposition.

Results

A total of 4,815 patients were queried via the SPACRCS database, all of whom had undergone a non-endovascular heart valve procedure in the year 2021. The majority of these patients, constituting 62.2 percent, were male. Age was categorized into five groups, with the largest proportion, 48.91 percent, falling within the 50–69 age range. Race data indicated that 67.1 percent were White, 9.1 percent were Black/African American, 1.2 percent were multiracial, and 22.7 percent identified as other races. The mean length of stay (LOS) was calculated at 11.4 days. Notably, Black/African American patients had the longest mean LOS at 14.3 days, whereas White patients had an average LOS of 10.2 days, multiracial patients had 11.3 days, and those identifying as other races had 13.7 days. When it came to discharge dispositions, 47.6 percent were sent home with home care. Among these patients, a significant portion, 64.8 percent, were male, and 66.1 percent were White. Conversely, only 3.4 percent of patients were discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility, and within this group, 54.4 percent were aged 70 or older. Patients discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility averaged a LOS of 22.3 days versus 10.2 days for patients discharged home with home services.

Conclusion

A variety of factors influence the discharge pattern of after cardiac valve surgery in New York State. Further research and analysis would be beneficial to understand the underlying factors driving these trends and to improve the quality of care and resource allocation for this patient population.