The overlooked factor: The impact of disability on postoperative complications after emergency general surgery procedures surgery

Thank you for the opportunity to submit a commentary on this article, in which the authors employ sound methodology to address the question of how the presence of disability impacts outcomes after emergency surgery. Although the National Readmissions Database is a useful tool, it is subject to several limitations that may compromise generalizability and determination of causality. There is a complex interplay between the presence of disability, socioeconomic status, and race that cannot be fully addressed by these data, though the observations made by the authors elucidate the physical, financial, and social obstacles that patients with disabilities face when accessing and engaging in health care services.
Source: Surgery - Category: Surgery Authors: Source Type: research