Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Association between surgical start time and postoperative mortality, morbidity and healthcare utilisation in elective non‐cardiac surgeries: a retrospective, single‐centre study using propensity score matching
Main finding · MortalityResult — go to the resultAdjusted hazard ratio 1.33 95% CI 1.07–1.66Authors' conclusion
Surgical start timing was an independent risk factor for increased short- and long-term postoperative mortality, morbidity and healthcare resource utilisation.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery
- Participants
- 291,051 patients
- Exposure
- Afternoon vs morning surgical start time
- Outcome
- Surgical outcomes: mortality, morbidity and healthcare utilisation
Methodological detailssingle-centre, propensity score matching
- Single-centre
- Propensity score matching
Main finding
Mortality · 30 days
Adjusted hazard ratio
1.33
95% CI 1.07–1.66
P = 0.010
By group
Afternoon vs Morning
aHR 1.33 (95% CI 1.07–1.66); P = 0.010
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Morning | Afternoon | Estimate | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mortality · 1 year | 2.73% | 3.36% | aHR 1.26 (95% CI 1.20–1.32) | P < 0.001 | |
| Composite complications | 5.48% | 5.94% | aOR 1.05 (95% CI 1.01–1.08) | P = 0.010 | |
| ICU admission | 5.87% | 7.18% | aOR 1.09 (95% CI 1.06–1.13) | P < 0.001 | |
| Intra-operative transfusion | 3.40% | 4.10% | aOR 1.27 (95% CI 1.21–1.33) | P < 0.001 | |
| 0.512Ratio (log scale) |
- Mortality: unadjusted p < 0.001
- Composite complications: unadjusted p = 0.003
- ICU admission: unadjusted p < 0.001
- Intra-operative transfusion: unadjusted p < 0.001
Restricted mean survival time
- Significantly shorter survival times in the afternoon group across all time points
High-risk patients and surgery type (subgroup)
- Impact of start time more pronounced in high-risk patients and varied significantly by type of surgery
Original publication
Association between surgical start time and postoperative mortality, morbidity and healthcare utilisation in elective non‐cardiac surgeries: a retrospective, single‐centre study using propensity score matching. Anaesthesia. Published 22 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →