Neighborhood Disparities Predict Readmission in Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery

Socioeconomic and neighborhood disadvantages have been increasingly investigated for their associations with outcomes in a variety of otolaryngologic conditions. The aim of this study is to explore the role of area deprivation index (ADI) on the hospital length of stay and 30-day readmission following endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery (EESBS). We performed a cross-sectional study of all patients who underwent EESBS between August 2020 and April 2024 at an academic institution. A total of 64 patients were included. Mean national ADI was 78.0 (SD = 15.1). The mean hospital LoS was 4.2 (SD = 2.1), and the readmission rate was 18.8%. After controlling for age, gender, and intraoperative CSF leak, national ADI was significantly associated with increased 30-day readmission within 30 days (OR = 2.30, P = .035). In conclusion, neighborhood disadvantage as measured by the national ADI increases the odds of readmission after EESBS. More studies with larger sample size are needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.