Racial Disparities in Access to Minimally Invasive Emergency General Surgery

Are there racial disparities in access to minimally invasive surgery and outcomes for patients undergoing emergency general surgery procedures?In this large national cohort study of over 2 million procedures, minimally invasive surgery was associated with better outcomes overall; however, Black patients had significantly higher odds of undergoing emergency procedures and open surgery compared with White patients, even after adjustment for clinical and hospital factors.These findings suggest that disparities in surgical access and outcomes persist for Black patients and underscore the outcomes of structural inequities in emergency general surgery, highlighting the need for targeted equity-focused interventions in surgical practice and health systems.

Corresponding Author: Joseph V. Sakran, MD, MPH, MPA, John Hopkins Hospital, 1800 Orleans St, Sheikh Zayed Tower, 6107A, Baltimore, MD 21287 (jsakran1@jhmi.edu).

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