If you have surgery scheduled for a Friday, you may want to consider rescheduling.
A new study published in JAMA Network Open suggests that people who have surgery just before the weekend face a higher risk of complications and death compared to those who have procedures earlier in the week.
The “Weekend Effect”
Researchers found that the “weekend effect”—a known issue where hospital care tends to be lower-quality on weekends—also applies to surgeries done on Fridays.
Patients recovering over the weekend may experience delays in care, fewer available staff members, and limited access to specialists and tests.
The study, led by Dr. Raj Satkunasivam from Houston Methodist Hospital, analyzed data from nearly 430,000 patients in Ontario, Canada, who underwent surgery between 2007 and 2019.
Patients who had surgery just before the weekend had:
- A 9% higher risk of death within 30 days
- A 10% higher risk at 90 days
- A 12% higher risk at one year
They also had a 5% higher risk of complications and hospital readmission within 30 days and one year after surgery.
Why Does This Happen?
Several factors may explain why Friday surgeries carry higher risks:
- Fewer staff members: Hospitals operate with reduced teams over the weekend.
- Less access to specialists: Senior doctors and surgeons are less available.
- Junior surgeons: Less experienced doctors are more likely to operate on Fridays.
- Limited testing: Patients may have delays in getting important scans or tests.
- Weaker handoff between teams: The doctors working on the weekend may be less familiar with the patient’s case.
The study suggests that patients needing non-urgent surgery may want to avoid scheduling procedures just before the weekend, if possible.
Researchers emphasize that hospitals need to address these issues to ensure that patients receive high-quality care no matter what day of the week they have surgery. However, until then, choosing an earlier day in the week for surgery may be a safer option.
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The research findings can be found in JAMA Network Open.
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