Approximately 20% of deaths after emergency surgery are preventable.

A significant analysis of 7 emergency general surgery procedures revealed that 18.5% of deaths were potentially preventable. Patients in this category experienced higher rates of postoperative complications and clinical management issues occurring predominantly in the preoperative phase. Specifically, 38.6% exhibited problems before surgery compared to only 7.0% of nonpreventable deaths. The findings highlight the urgent need for quality improvement measures, including enhanced recovery protocols, to address identified patient care deficiencies and reduce mortality rates.