Readmission After Liver Resection for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: a Multi-Institutional Analysis

Background: The objective of the current study was to define the incidence of 30-day readmission after hepatic resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). In particular, we sought to identify risk factors associated with a higher risk of readmission among patients undergoing resection for ICC. Methods: Patients who underwent hepatic resection for ICC at 12 major hepatobiliary centers in the USA, Europe, Australia, and Asia between 1990 and 2013 were identified. Thirty-day readmission and clinicopathologic characteristics associated with higher risk of readmission were examined. Results: Among 602 patients, 401 (68.3 %) patients underwent a major hepatectomy and 256 (43.3 %) experienced at least one post-operative complication. Overall 30-day readmission was 7.8 % (n = 47). Risk factors associated with readmission included pre-operative jaundice (odds ratio (OR) 2.45) and the presence of a major complication (OR 3.38). In fact, 95.7 % of readmitted patients had experienced a post-operative complication versus only 38.8 % of non-readmitted patients (P <0.001). Among patients who were readmitted, repeat hospitalization was associated with a median LOS of 6.5 days (interquartile range (IQR) 4.0–11.5) and one patient died during readmission. Conclusions: Readmission after hepatic resection for ICC occurred in 1 in 13 patients. Patients with pre-operative jaundice and those who experienced a complication had over a threefold higher risk of being readmitted.