Postoperative complications

What are postoperative complications? 

The postoperative period starts from the time patients are transferred to the post-anaesthesia unit until they are released from hospital. Postoperative complications in people with schizophrenia may stem from disorganised thinking and functional difficulties that may affect the ability to recognise and communicate medical symptoms. Consequently, patients may be admitted for treatment at a later stage of the physical illness leading to increased risk of medical complications following surgery.

What is the evidence for postoperative complications in people with schizophrenia?

Moderate quality evidence suggests people with schizophrenia who have recently undergone surgery may show increased risk of mortality, respiratory failure, deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, sepsis, and confusion (particularly if antipsychotics are discontinued) compared to people without schizophrenia. They may also report less pain and receive fewer postoperative analgesics.

June 2020

Last updated at: 2:33 am, 19th June 2020
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