Labour Market Participation After Emergency Laparotomy: A Nationwide Cohort Study with Long-Term Follow-Up

Lau Caspar Thygesen*, Ismail Gögenur

*Corresponding author for this work

Abstract

Background: Many patients who undergo emergency laparotomy are working, which is a key determinant for an individual’s socio-economic status and financial security. The objectives of this study were to compare labour market participation and sick leave in a nationwide patient population undergoing non-malignant emergency resections with a matched reference population. Methods: This nationwide prospective cohort study included all patients aged 18+ years undergoing emergency laparotomy for non-malignant disease resulting in intestinal resections, ostomy or drainage at Danish hospitals 2003–2014 and who were active on the labour market (n = 2895). We included a sex- and age-matched reference population (n = 11,422) and followed all persons in nationwide registers. We used survival analyses and logistic regression. Results: The proportion of people active in the labour market was 85% and 66% 1 and 2 years after surgery compared to 96% and 79% among the reference population. The hazard ratio of dropout was 1.15 (95% CI 1.05–1.25, p = 0.002) among patients compared to reference population. Increased dropout was observed for disability pension (2.58; 2.14–3.11; p < 0.0001), while patients did not have increased rate of age-related pensions. The proportion on sick leave was 66% the month following surgery compared to 3–4% among references. The proportion decreased thereafter but was higher up to 3 years after surgery. Conclusions: This nationwide study including all patients undergoing resections demonstrated marked increase in disability pensioning and sick leave after surgery compared to a matched reference group. This supports the need for interventions and programmes during hospital stay and after discharge focusing on labour market participation.

Original languageEnglish
JournalWorld Journal of Surgery
Volume43
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)763-771
Number of pages9
ISSN0364-2313
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

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