For cancer patients, a surgical complication can mean an increase in treatment costs between 20 and 50 percent of that of the original surgery, according to research published in the journal Cancer.
Researchers analyzed Medicare claims data for six resection surgeries completed between 2005 and 2009. Among the operations, the most common serious treatable complications (occurring in more than 1 percent of cases) were postoperative respiratory failure, postoperative thromboembolism and accidental puncture or laceration.
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While some complications, including postoperative thromboembolism, increased costs by 20 percent, postoperative respiratory failure was the costliest surgical complication, increasing costs more than 50 percent for all operations studied.
The study concluded targeting known common surgical complications for cancer patients undergoing surgery could be an effective way to save money and improve quality.
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