This retrospective study evaluated whether diagnosis-related group (DRG) classifications can effectively predict postoperative length of stay (LOS) in total laryngectomy (TL) patients at a tertiary academic center. Across 211 cases, higher DRG severity (CC/MCC) was strongly associated with longer LOS, as well as increased rates of pharyngocutaneous fistula and 30-day readmissions. Patients classified under MCC had a 25% fistula rate and a 26% readmission rate, several-fold higher than those without CC/MCC.
The study also revealed a consistent mismatch between national geometric mean LOS (GMLOS) and institutional LOS, pointing to potential optimization gaps. These findings underscore the utility of DRGs as an early risk-stratification tool to guide perioperative resource allocation and postoperative planning in TL care. To explore the full implications of DRG-based risk stratification in…
