Do overlapping surgeries pose a risk to patients?

Surgeons sometimes will jump from one surgery to another before the first is done, leaving junior surgeons and others to wrap up. But the practice has come under fire amid concerns it could harm patients. A new analysis of data from more than 60,000 surgeries finds that double-booking is often — but not always — safe. Overlapping surgeries didn’t increase the risk for post-surgery complications or death immediately after surgery. But people getting coronary bypass surgery and high-risk patients — like older adults and those with pre-existing conditions — had higher mortality and complication rates during concurrent procedures.

“Although overlapping surgery appears safe for the majority of patients, it may not be for all of them,” the study’s authors write in a First Opinion for STAT. “Ensuring that the benefits of the practice don’t come at the cost of patient safety is essential."