Reinterventions

Reinterventions are additional procedures performed after an initial treatment to address recurrence, progression, complications, or inadequate response. They can be planned as staged therapies or arise emergently as unplanned procedures. Reinterventions occur across medical and surgical specialties, including cardiology, oncology, vascular surgery, orthopedics, gastroenterology, and interventional radiology. The need for a reintervention reflects disease biology, treatment adequacy, follow-up findings, patient comorbidity, and the balance of risks and benefits of further intervention.

Common drivers include disease recurrence, progression after initial therapy, or complications. Examples span cardiovascular care (repeat PCI or graft revision), vascular or interventional radiology (re-angioplasty or stent adjustment), oncology (salvage resections or re-irradiation), orthopedics (revision arthroplasty), and gastroenterology (repeat resections or stent placement). Distinguish planned staged interventions from unplanned reinterventions prompted by complications or recurrence.

Outcomes vary with context and patient risk. Reinterventions carry higher technical challenge, exposure to anesthesia, infection risk, and tissue changes that can complicate subsequent care. Evaluation relies on imaging and clinical assessment, with decision-making centered on expected benefit versus risk and patient preferences. Reintervention rates are tracked as quality indicators and inform guidelines, resource planning, and informed consent, including discussion of potential future procedures.