Risk factors for complications after abdominal surgery in children with sickle cell disease

NSQIP-P database analysis of 813 pediatric SCD patients undergoing abdominal surgery found urgent/emergent procedures doubled complication risk, while preoperative transfusion and hematocrit levels above 21.0 showed no clear association with outcomes. Overall 30-day complication rate was 12%, with SCD-related complications at 4%.