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Background: Reducing inpatient readmissions is a national priority for improving healthcare quality and decreasing costs. Previous studies have shown that readmissions after surgical aortic valve replacement are frequent and contribute to increased healthcare costs, yet no studies have analyzed risk factors for readmission., Methods: The Nationwide Readmissions Database was used to identify adult patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement from 2010 to 2015. Incidence, patient characteristics, causes, resource utilization, and predictors of 30-day readmission were determined. International Classification of Diseases codes were used to capture surgical aortic valve replacement., Results: Among 136,051 patients, 18,631 (13.7%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Readmitted patients were more commonly women (47.4% vs 41.6%; P < .001) and were older (70.4 years of age vs 68.3 years of age; P < .001), with higher Elixhauser comorbidity index (5.4 vs 4.8; P < .001), rates of postoperative complications (44.0% vs 37.3%; P < .001), and greater length of stay (10.9 days vs 8.5 days; P < .001). The mean cost of 1 readmission episode was $13,426. On multivariable analysis, significant predictors of readmission were female sex, age greater than 75 years, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney and liver disease, and lower surgical aortic valve replacement hospital volume. A total of 49.1% of readmissions were related to cardiac causes, with heart failure (13.2%) and arrhythmia (12.5%) being the most common., Conclusions: Using a national inpatient database, we found readmission after surgical aortic valve replacement to be common and resource-intensive. Enhanced management of comorbidities and targeted postdischarge interventions for patients at high risk of readmission may help decrease healthcare utilization., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are life-threatening complications after surgery, warranting prophylaxis. However prophylaxis is not uniformly practiced among cardiac surgical patients. This study aimed to characterize the national incidence, mortality, and costs associated with thromboembolism after cardiac surgery., Methods: The 2005 to 2015 National Inpatient Sample was used to identify all adult patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting or valve surgery. International Classification of Disease codes were used to identify patients with deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism., Results: Of approximately 3 million patients undergoing cardiac surgery, 1.62% developed deep venous thrombosis and 0.38% pulmonary embolism. Those with deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism were more commonly women (33.2% and 36.2 vs 31.2%, P < .001), older (68.1 and 66.0% vs 65.7 years, P < .001), and had a higher Elixhauser comorbidity index (4.0 and 4.7 vs 3.7, P < .001). Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism were associated with increased mortality (4.95% and 14.8% vs 2.67%, P < .001). After adjustment for baseline differences, deep venous thrombosis was associated with an incremental increase in cost of $12,308, whereas pulmonary embolism was associated with $13,879 cost increase after cardiac surgery. Pulmonary embolism was an independent predictor of mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 3.39; 95% confidence interval, 2.74-4.18)., Conclusions: The mortality and financial burden related to thromboembolism in cardiac surgery are significant. Prophylaxis may be indicated in cardiac surgery patients to improve quality of care and reduce healthcare costs. Future controlled randomized trials investigating the benefit of thromboembolism prophylaxis in cardiac surgery are warranted., (Copyright © 2020 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)