New data shows surgery mortality outcomes improving

Surgery mortality outcomes are improving in Aotearoa New Zealand despite an aging population and more complex surgeries being performed.

Data updated to December 2023 by the National Mortality Review Management Group, Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission Health Quality Intelligence team, and the Perioperative Mortality (POM) subject matter experts' group, shows overall surgical mortality rates in New Zealand are not increasing.

This is despite an aging population, surgeries now performed on those who might not have previously been operated on, and increasingly complex surgeries undertaken on patients with more illnesses.

Despite pressures on the health system the data shows outcomes have not deteriorated, with surgery here continuing to be as safe as countries like Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Māori and Pacific peoples’ mortality after planned surgery has also improved when compared to Pākehā and other ethnicity groups,” Elizabeth Dennett, University of Otago Wellington, Associate Professor of Surgery and POM member, said

However, Associate Professor Dennett noted that for acute or emergency surgeries this improvement had not happened for Pacific peoples.

The data is summarised in an updated ‘Surgery and risk in Aotearoa New Zealand’ infographic released today.

Covering a range of information including risk factors, the infographic can be used by health care professionals when discussing upcoming surgery with patients.

The infographic and further information can be found on the page surgery and risk in Aotearoa New Zealand.