Assessment of Preoperative Bilirubin Levels in Hepatobiliary Surgical Patients: A Statistical Analysis of Demographic and Clinical Variables

Abstract

Background: Preoperative bilirubin levels serve as an important prognostic marker in hepatobiliary surgery, aiding in perioperative management and outcome prediction. Understanding the demographic and clinical correlates of bilirubin levels can guide clinical decision-making. Methods: This study analyzed preoperative bilirubin levels in hepatobiliary surgical patients across various age groups and genders. Descriptive statistics, Levene’s Test for homogeneity of variances, Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, and Welch’s ANOVA were employed. The analysis explored associations between bilirubin levels, age, gender, and surgical outcomes. Results: Descriptive analysis revealed variability in bilirubin levels across age groups, with a slight male predominance in the cohort. Levene’s test indicated significant variance heterogeneity (p = 0.022), while the Shapiro-Wilk test confirmed non-normal data distribution (p < 0.001). Despite these deviations from parametric assumptions, Welch’s ANOVA showed no statistically significant influence of age, gender, or surgical outcome on bilirubin levels. Conclusion: The analysis suggests that in this cohort, preoperative bilirubin levels were not significantly influenced by age, gender, or surgical outcome. Violations of statistical assumptions reinforced the need for robust analytical methods in future research.