Long-term glucose control and risk of perioperative complications

BackgroundThe impact of long-term preoperative glucose control on short-term surgical complications is unclear. We investigated whether preoperative hemoglobin A1c (HA1c) levels correlated with the risk of postoperative complications.MethodsA database of 38,989 patients undergoing major surgical procedures from October 1996 to May 2007 was reviewed. Of these patients, 2,960 were diagnosed diabetic with a HA1c level within 30 days before their operation. National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) definitions were used in determining postoperative complications.ResultsOf 36,039 nondiabetic patients, 5,095 experienced 1 or more complications (14.1%). In 2,960 diabetic patients, 780 diabetic patients had 1 or more complications (26.4%) (P ≤.001). Mortality was higher in diabetics than nondiabetics (4.2% vs 1%, respectively; P <.0001). There was no correlation between HA1c levels and risk of complication, type of complication, or death.ConclusionsAlthough our data show an increased risk of surgical complications in diabetics, there was no detectable correlation between risk of complication and HA1c level. This suggests that poor long-term glucose control may not play a major role in determining short-term surgical morbidity.