Postoperative outcomes significantly improve in VA hospitals

Editor's Note

Postoperative outcomes in the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system have consistently improved for the past 15 years, this study finds.

In this analysis of nearly 705,000 patients undergoing noncardiac surgical procedures at 143 hospitals, absolute rates and likelihood of complications, mortality, and failure to rescue significantly decreased 40% to 50% in 15 years. These decreases were observed system-wide at Veterans Affairs hospitals, not just those with the best performance.

Despite numerous challenges, the VA health system has made notable and continuous gains in the quality of surgical care provided to its patients, the authors say.

Importance The quality of surgical care in the Veterans Health Administration improved markedly in the 1990s after implementation of the Veterans Affairs (VA) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (now called the VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program).