Within how many hours does 47-61% of postoperative mortality occur?

• A. 1 hour
• B. 3 hours
• C. 6 hours
• D. 12 hours

Answer: (B)

The timing of deaths after surgery is heavily front-loaded in the immediate recovery period. A large share of fatalities occurs soon after the operation because patients are waking from anesthesia and may still have compromised airway function, breathing, or circulation, along with risks from bleeding, cardiac events, or pulmonary complications. Because these issues tend to manifest quickly, about half of postoperative deaths happen within the first few hours after the procedure. After that early window, the risk decreases as patients stabilize, so the most critical period for mortality is the initial hours in the recovery phase.