Network Analysis of Postoperative Surgical Complications in a Cohort of Children Reported to the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program: Pediatric

Network analysis of 432,090 pediatric surgical cases reveals that multiple postoperative complications cluster into four distinct groups with predictable temporal relationships. Children experiencing two or more complications face significantly higher mortality risk (5.3%) compared to single complications (1.5%) or none (0.14%), with younger patients and those undergoing emergency procedures at greatest risk.