Socioeconomic and Racial Privilege Linked to Improved Postoperative Outcomes in Medicare Beneficiaries

Among 1,885,889 Medicare beneficiaries included in the study, those residing in areas of higher privilege had lower chances of experiencing surgical complications, prolonged length of stay, 90-day readmission, and 90-day mortality. Moreover, individuals in the most privileged areas had a 19% increased odds of achieving a textbook outcome following surgery and a 6% reduction in Medicare expenditures compared to those in the least privileged areas. These findings highlight the impact of privilege on disparities in surgical care.