Urologic Surgery Outcomes and Reoperation Rates

What is a reoperation rate?

A reoperation rate is the percentage of patients who had a particular urologic surgery at Children’s Hospital Colorado and needed an unanticipated second surgery with a minimum of a one-year follow-up. Out of the patients that need a reoperation, 95% of them have one within a year. In the outcomes displayed below, we’ve used a 2-year window after surgery to help us capture more possible cases of reoperation in order to report more accurate outcomes.

Why do we measure urologic surgery outcomes and reoperation rates?

Our urology team is dedicated to improving patient outcomes. We measure the rate of reoperation to help us evaluate how we treat certain pediatric illnesses and to continually improve the quality of care for kids. By publishing and analyzing reoperation rates, we hope to identify situations where reoperation commonly happens and find solutions to reduce it.

Currently, Children’s Colorado is one of the few pediatric hospitals in the country that publishes the outcomes of these surgeries to help parents make educated decisions about their child’s healthcare.

How have we improved our reoperation rates?

We are continually striving to improve our outcomes by reviewing our techniques and following national and international best practices.

Children’s Colorado reoperation rate for hypospadias surgery

What is hypospadias?

Hypospadias is a condition in which the urethral tube opening is not at the tip of the penis. Instead, it is located underneath it. The surgical repair of hypospadias creates an opening in the correct place.

Children's Hospital Colorado Hypospadias Surgery Reoperation Rates

LOWER IS BETTER

From January 2017 to December 2021, 22 of our 512 patients who had a hypospadias repair needed a reoperation, meaning that about 4.2% of patients who had surgical repair of hypospadias at Children’s Colorado needed a reoperation. This is lower than recently published data by Warren T. Snodgrass, which states an overall complication rate of 5-10% and international reoperation rates that average 11.5%.

Children’s Colorado reoperation rate for orchiopexy surgery

What is orchiopexy?

Orchiopexy is the surgical repair of an undescended testicle. Learn more about how we treat undescended testicles at Children’s Colorado.

Children's Hospital Colorado Orchiopexy Surgery Reoperation Rates

LOWER IS BETTER

From January 2017 to December 2021, four of our 1,588 patients who had an orchiopexy at Children’s Colorado needed a reoperation. That means that about only 0.25% of our patients at Children's Colorado who had surgical repair of an undescended testicle needed another operation. In comparison, the complication rate in recently published data by Hutton et al. is 1-3%.

Children’s Colorado reoperation rate for hernia surgery

What is a hernia?

A hernia is a bump in the groin area that is made up of fluid, intestine and occasionally fat. See how we treat hernias. 

Children's Hospital Colorado Hernia Surgery Reoperation Rates

LOWER IS BETTER

From January 2017 to December 2021, five of our 823 patients who had a hernia repair needed a reoperation, making our reoperation rate 0.6%. In comparison, the complication rate in recently published data by Henrik Steinbrecher is 1%.

Children’s Colorado reoperation rate for pyeloplasty surgery

What is pyeloplasty?

Pyeloplasty is surgery to remove an obstruction at the point where urine drains from the kidney to the ureter. The procedure is often used to treat ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO).

Children's Hospital Colorado Pyeloplasty Surgery Reoperation Rates

LOWER IS BETTER

From January 2017 to December 2021, seven of our 203 patients who had a pyeloplasty needed a reoperation, making our reoperation rate about 3.4%. In comparison, the national average for complication rates is 3-5%.

About this data

What is the source of this data?

The data is collected by the Department of Pediatric Urology at Children’s Colorado.

How do we compare ourselves to other hospitals?

To gather this data, Children’s Colorado used benchmarks in the book “Pediatric Urology Surgical Complications and Management,” 2015, published by Wiley Blackwell (specifically, we referred to chapters by Warren T. Snodgrass, Kim Hutton and Henrik Steinbrecher). This book compares the complication rates of urologic procedures from hospitals across the U.S. and Europe.

How often will this data be updated?

The Department of Pediatric Urology tracks each patient’s success for two years after their surgery and will continue to update this information as we receive it.