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Source: ONE News
Up to 5000 people die following surgery each year in New Zealand, a Government-funded report has found.
While most of the deaths were not caused by the operations, the report's authors say there were lessons to be learned in a small number of cases.
The report is the first released by the Perioperative Mortality Review Committee, which is funded by the Government's Health Quality and Safety Commission.
A "perioperative death" is any death that happened within 30 days of surgery or anaesthesia, after 30 days but before the person was discharged, or while a person was in the care of a hospital surgeon.
The report looked at data from hip, knee, colon and cataract surgery, as well as 1.1 million general anaesthetic procedures, carried out between 2005 and 2009.
The number of deaths was similar to international rates, with people more likely to die following emergency surgery than elective - or planned - operations.
Committee chair Professor Iain Martin said between 4000 and 5000 people died each year.
"In many of these cases the procedure was a small factor in a complex episode of care and played no part in the later death of the patient, whilst in a small number there are important lessons to learn."
The most common causes of death were heart attacks or other heart problems, or the health problem the surgery was intended to help with.
The risk of death increased with age, with people aged 90 or older most likely to die following surgery or being given anaesthetic.
Dr Martin said the report was something surgeons had wanted for a long time, so they could give patients accurate information about the risks of surgery.
Scott Stevenson, the New Zealand chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, said the report's findings would help to improve safety.
"Many of the deaths identified within the report reflect the poor health of the patient rather than any consequence of the quality of operative care provided. However, it is essential that we identify those instances where death might have been avoided if care had been provided differently."
Geoff Long, the New Zealand chair of the Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, said the report was valuable.
"While the report identifies risk factors, at the same time it is reassuring for patients in that its findings also demonstrate that New Zealand has a very high safety record, comparable with other similar countries.
"Anaesthetists can take these risk factors into account when deciding on the appropriate care for individual patients."
