The Impact of Hispanic Ethnicity and Race on Post-Surgical Complications in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

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Abstract
Surgery for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common and represents a large portion of the cost of IBD treatment. There are multiple risk factors for post-operative complications after IBD surgery, but the role of ethnicity remains unclear. The aim of our study was to compare the rate of post-operative complications in Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients with equal access to health care. We designed a case–control study including patients enrolled in a health plan available to uninsured patients at Jackson Memorial Hospital (Miami, FL, USA) who had access to health care for at least 24 consecutive months prior to surgery. Sixty-seven Hispanic patients (cases) and 75 non-Hispanic patients (controls) met criteria and were compared with respect to demographics, type of surgery, disease phenotype, and laboratory markers. Primary outcome was the development of a medical or surgical complication. A slight numerical increase in post-operative complications was seen in Hispanic patients; this did not reach statistical significance [1.06 (95 % CI 0.48–2.36; p = 0.88)]. Factors independently associated with post-operative complications included diagnosis of ulcerative colitis [OR 5.4 (95 % CI 1.67–20.58; p = 0.004)], pre-operative albumin levels p < 0.001)], smoking [OR 15.7 (95 % CI 4.2–72.35; p < 0.001)], and use of ≥20 mg of prednisone [OR 6.7 (95 % CI 2.15–24.62; p < 0.001)]. In a group of patients with equal access to medical care and follow-up, Hispanics and non-Hispanics with IBD that underwent surgery had no significant differences in types of IBD surgeries or post-surgical outcomes.

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