Impact of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status on Outcomes Following First‐Stage Palliation of Single Ventricle Heart Disease

BACKGROUND: The impact of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) on outcomes following first‐stage palliation of single ventricle heart disease remains incompletely characterized. METHODS AND RESULTS: This was a single‐center, retrospective review of consecutive patients who underwent the Norwood procedure from January 1, 1997 to November 11, 2017. Outcomes of interest included in‐hospital (early) mortality or transplant, postoperative hospital length‐of‐stay, inpatient cost, and postdischarge (late) mortality or transplant. The primary exposure was neighborhood SES, assessed using a composite score derived from 6 US census‐block group measures related to wealth, income, education, and occupation. Associations between SES and outcomes were assessed using logistic regression, generalized linear, or Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for baseline patient‐related risk factors. Of 478 patients, there were 62 (13.0%) early deaths or transplants. Among 416 transplant‐free survivors at hospital discharge, median postoperative hospital length‐of‐stay and cost were 24 (interquartile range, 15–43) days and $295 000 (interquartile range, $193 000–$563 000), respectively. There were 97 (23.3%) late deaths or transplants. On multivariable analysis, patients in the lowest SES tertile had greater risk of early mortality or transplant (odds ratio [OR], 4.3 [95% CI, 2.0–9.4; P<0.001]), had longer hospitalizations (coefficient 0.4 [95% CI, 0.2–0.5; P<0.001]), incurred higher costs (coefficient 0.5 [95% CI, 0.3–0.7; P<0.001]), and had greater risk of late mortality or transplant (hazard ratio, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.3–3.7; P=0.004]), compared with those in the highest tertile. The risk of late mortality was partially attenuated with successful completion of home monitoring programs. CONCLUSIONS: Lower neighborhood SES is associated with worse transplant‐free survival following the Norwood operation. This risk persists throughout the first decade of life and may be mitigated with successful completion of interstage surveillance programs.