Black-versus-White racial disparities in 30-day outcomes at Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program–accredited centers: a needed quality indicator

Creating a metric in the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) to assess Black-versus-White disparities is critical if we are to ensure equitable care for all. To investigate Black-versus-White disparities while replicating MBSAQIP methodology with regard to covariates and modeling so that the results can serve as the foundation to create a benchmarked site-level Disparities Metric for MBSAQIP. United States and Canada. Across the 2015–2019 MBSAQIP cohorts, 543,976 adults underwent primary or revision sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and were reported as either White or Black. Using a set of covariates derived from published MBSAQIP performance models, we performed multivariable logistic modeling with 10-fold cross-validation for the 11 outcomes evaluated in MBSAQIP Semiannual Reports, plus venous thromboembolism (VTE) and death. We analyzed primary and revision cases separately. After risk adjustment, Black patients experienced higher odds of all-occurrence morbidity (odds ratio [OR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19–1.25; P < .001), serious events (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04–1.13; P < .001), all-cause intervention (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.24–1.37; P < .001), related intervention (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.22–1.37; P < .001), all-cause readmission (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.33–1.41; P < .001), related readmission (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.36–1.46; P < .001), venous thromboembolism (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.34–1.65; P < .001), and death (OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.34–1.89; P < .001) after primary procedures. Black patients experienced lower odds of morbidity (OR, .94; 95% CI, .91–.98; P = .004) and surgical-site infection (OR, .72; 95% CI, .66–.78; P < .001). Black patients experienced a higher risk for serious complications and required more readmissions, reoperations, and postoperative interventions. This study supports the creation of a site-level Disparities Metric for the MBSAQIP and provides the framework to do so.