Early discharge after 72 hours of colorectal surgery safe and feasible: Study

Early postoperative discharge after colorectal surgery within the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) guidelines has been demonstrated to be safe, although its applicability has not been universal. The primary aim of this study was to identify the predictors of early discharge and readiness for discharge in a study population.

Early discharge was defined as discharge occurring in 72 h or less after surgery. The characteristics and clinical outcomes of the patients in the early and non-early discharge groups were compared, and variables associated with early discharge were identified. Additionally, independent variables associated with the readiness for discharge within 48 h were evaluated.

Results of the study are:

Of 965 patients who underwent colorectal surgery between January 2015 and July 2020, 788 were included in this study. No differences in readmission, reoperation, or 30-day mortality were observed between the early and non-early discharge groups. Both early discharge and readiness for discharge had a positive association with adherence to 80 per cent or more of the ERAS items and a negative association with the female sex, duration of surgery, drain positioning, and postoperative complications.

Thus, early discharge after colorectal surgery is safe and feasible, and is not associated with a high risk of readmission or reoperation. Discharge at 48 h can be reliably predicted in a subset of patients. Future studies should collect prospective data on early discharge related to safety, as well as patients' expectations, possible organizational issues, and effective costs reduction in Italian clinical practice.

Reference:

Feasibility of discharge within 72 hours of major colorectal surgery: lessons learned after 5 years of institutional experience with the ERAS protocol by Alberto Biondi, et al. published in the BJS Open.

https://academic.oup.com/bjsopen/article/6/1/zrac002/6530619?login=false

Keywords:

Feasibility, Feasibility of discharge, major colorectal surgery, Alberto Biondi, Maria Cristina Mele, Annamaria Agnes, Laura Lorenzon, Marco Cintoni, Emanuele Rinninella, Giuseppe Marincola, Domenico D'Ugo, Antonio Gasbarrini, Roberto Persiani, BJS Open, colorectal surgery and discharge