This study aims to assess and improve the global outcomes following surgery. Every year approximately 313 million operations are performed, with 50 million people experiencing a complication and unfortunately 3.5 million people will die following these operations. This study will assess how outcomes vary following surgery throughout the world and explore system access, quality and efficiency.
The secondary aims of this study are to (1) assess the use of antibiotics and the impact of resistant organisms globally, (2) assess who dies after an operation and whether there are factors that were identified that could have prevented the death, (3) assess the assess and outcomes to minimally invasive and robotic surgery, (4) assess the outcomes of the Bellwether procedures (laparotomy, caesarean delivery, open fracture management) as these are conditions used to assess the functioning of a health system.
The study will take place for six week in May-June 2026 and will aim to collect data from 100,000 patients across 1000 hospitals in 100 countries to give a global perspective on the above outcome measures. The data will be analysed by hospital income group to understand how resources impact on outcomes.
By combining global data on clinical outcomes with information on hospital resources, this study hopes to provide valuable insights into how to improve surgical care across diverse settings, making recommendations that lead to better access to safe, timely and affordable care for surgical problems worldwide.
Any operation (elective or emergency) performed in an operating theatre is eligible for inclusion, except for minor procedures specified in Appendix A.
All surgical specialties can participate including acute care surgery, breast surgery, cardiac surgery, colorectal surgery, general surgery, gynaecology, hepatobiliary surgery, neurosurgery, obstetrics, oesophagogastric surgery, ophthalmology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedics, otolaryngology, paediatric surgery, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, transplant surgery, trauma surgery, urology and vascular surgery.
Patients undergoing both day case surgery and inpatient surgery should be included.
Patients who do not undergo an operation (e.g. planned operations that are cancelled).
Patients undergoing angiography or minor procedures.
Procedures performed outside of an operating theatre
Individual participating centres can choose to include children only, adults only, or both children and adults. If including children or adults only, an age cut off should be selected that is appropriate to the local context.
All consecutive patients undergoing surgery
Cohort
Prospective
Not listed
Global variation in post operative complications.
The primary aim of SurgWeek-2 is to assess the global burden and variation of postoperative complications. We will determine the frequency of postoperative complications across low-, middle- and high-income countries, further stratifying by age, sex, and surgical speciality.
Global variation in postoperative infective complication and antimicrobial resistance rates.
We will determine the variation of postoperative infective complications across low-, middle- and high-income countries, further stratifying by age, sex, and surgical speciality. This will include, surgical site infection, deep organ space infection, postoperative pneumonia and anastomotic leak. We will assess patterns in antimicrobial resistances in wound swabs.
Global variation in postoperative mortality rates and underlying reasons for postoperative mortality.
We will determine the variation of postoperative mortality across low-, middle- and high-income countries, further stratifying by age, sex, and surgical speciality. We will assess causes and patterns of postoperative mortality across countries.
Global variation in access to and outcomes associated with minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
We will determine the variation and outcomes of minimally invasive and robotic surgery across low-, middle- and high-income countries, further stratifying by age, sex, and surgical speciality.
Global variation in the outcomes of the Bellwether procedures (laparotomy, caesarean delivery and open fracture management)
We will determine the variation and outcomes of the Bellwether procedures (laparotomy, caesarean delivery and open fracture management) across low-, middle- and high-income countries, further stratifying by age, sex, and surgical speciality.
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