Social-environmental injustice affects surgical outcomes for patients.

Social-environmental inequalities significantly impact surgical outcomes, as revealed by the analysis of 1,052,040 Medicare beneficiaries. Patients from areas marked by greater environmental injustice showed reduced chances of achieving textbook surgical outcomes (odds ratio 0.95) and lower likelihood of safe discharge (odds ratio 0.97). Both outcomes highlight the critical role of socio-environmental factors in healthcare, indicating that integrated policies addressing these disparities are essential for improving patient outcomes.