Scientists Warn There’s One Day Of The Week You Should ‘Never’ Have Surgery

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Researchers are gathering more evidence to strengthen their findings

Scientists have recently claimed that there’s one particular day of the week when you might want to think twice before scheduling surgery.

At first, this might seem surprising. After all, if you need an operation, the most important thing is getting it done as soon as possible so you can recover and move on with your life. The day of the week shouldn’t matter, right?

Well, according to a new study, patients who undergo surgery on a certain day face a noticeably higher risk of dying compared to those treated on other days.

There’s one day you’ll want to avoid surgery, according to one studyGetty Stock Photo

Whether it’s a routine procedure like a hip replacement or a more critical surgery, patients who have operations on a Friday are reportedly 10 percent more likely to die.

This phenomenon, known as the ‘weekend effect,’ is believed to be linked to fewer senior medical staff being on duty over the weekend. This is a crucial period when post-surgery monitoring and follow-up care can make a big difference in a patient’s recovery.

Additionally, the study highlights that hospitals tend to have limited access to essential services like scans and lab tests on Saturdays and Sundays, which could contribute to the increased risk.

Dr. Raj Satkunasivam of Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas, who led the research, explained: “Patients who underwent surgery immediately preceding the weekend had a significantly increased risk of complications, readmissions, and mortality compared with those treated after the weekend.”

He further emphasized: “It is important for health care systems to assess how this phenomenon may impact their practices to ensure that patients receive excellent care irrespective of the day.”

For the study, researchers analyzed data from nearly 430,000 patients who had surgery in Ontario, Canada, between 2007 and 2019.

The findings showed that those who had surgery on a Friday had a nine percent higher risk of dying within 30 days. At 90 days, the risk increased to 10 percent, and by the one-year mark, it was 12 percent higher.

Aside from the reduced presence of senior staff over the weekend, researchers pointed out other factors that could be influencing these results.

They noted: “Furthermore, weekend teams may be less familiar with the patients than the weekday team previously managing care.”

The study was groundbreakingGetty Stock Photo

While these results are significant, experts caution that more research is needed to draw definitive conclusions.

“Further study is needed to understand differences in care that may underpin these observations and ensure that patients receive high-quality care regardless of the day of the week,” they added.