The financial impact of postoperative complications following liver resection.

The aim of the study was to determine the financial burden of complications and examine the cost differentials between complicated and uncomplicated hospital stays, including the differences in cost due to extent of resection and operative technique. Liver resection carries a high financial cost. Despite improvements in perioperative care, postoperative morbidity remains high. The contribution of postoperative complications to the cost of liver resection is poorly quantified, and there is little data to help guide cost containment strategies. Complications for 317 consecutive adult patients undergoing liver resection were recorded using the Clavien-Dindo classification. Patients were stratified based on the grade of their worst complication to assess the contribution of morbidity to resource use of specific cost centers. Costs were calculated using an activity-based costing methodology. Complications dramatically increased median hospital cost ($22,954 vs $15,593, P<.001). Major resection cost over $10,000 more than minor resection and carried greater morbidity (82% vs 59%, P<.001). Similarly, open resection cost more than laparoscopic resection ($21,548 vs $15,235, P<.001) and carried higher rates of complications (72% vs 41.5%, P<.001). Hospital cost increased with increasing incidence and severity of complications. Complications increased costs across all cost centers. Minor complications (Clavien-Dindo Grade I and II) were shown to significantly increase costs compared with uncomplicated patients. Liver resection continues to carry a high incidence of complications, and these result in a substantial financial burden. Hospital cost and length of stay increase with greater severity and number of complications. Our findings provide an in-depth analysis by stratifying total costs by cost centers, therefore guiding future economic studies and strategies aimed at cost containment for liver resection.