Consequences and predisposing factors of self-discharge against medical advice in plastic and hand surgery

Purpose Therapeutic success of surgical interventions is significantly affected by patients’ adherence. Patient autonomy can lead to unreasonable behavior. We analyzed the consequences and predisposing factors of patient self-discharge in a plastic and hand surgery cohort. Study design and setting Data was collected retrospectively in a case–control study with n = 73 patients who had self-discharged in a 10-year time period and n = 130 controls (discharge by the surgeon). Data was collected through the hospital information systems and a particular questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed via chi-squared test and logistic regression analyses. Results Patients who self-discharged against medical advice had a significantly higher complication rate (p = 0.045) and a higher number of revision operations ( p