Richard J Parent, MD, William D Fuller, MD
Scripps Green Hospital
Background: Laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy is an effective treatment of obesity and one of the top three bariatric procedures currently performed nationally. Current literature and studies suggest that hospital stays of less than two days may not be safe. We sought to demonstrate that one day hospital stay after laparoscopic vertical sleeve gastrectomy is achievable with a well-defined protocol.
Methods: A single surgeon, single institution, prospective database of patients undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy over a three year period was reviewed (9/11/2009 – 6/28/2012). Variables assessed included patient age, gender, pre-operative weight and body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, length of stay (LOS), and complications.
Results: Our dataset included 82 patients (60 female, 22 male) with mean pre-operative BMI 43.2 m/kg². Our mean length of stay was 1.7 days (range 1-4 days). Overall, 43% of our patients were discharged on the first post-operative day and some within 24 hours of surgery. We found that 50% of the male patients and 40% of the female patients met criteria for early discharge. There were no significant differences in LOS when comparing age or pre-operative BMI. There were no significant complications.
Conclusions: This study shows that laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy is a safe procedure and that patients who meet criteria may be admitted on an observational status. Additionally, there may be criteria to predict patients that will likely be more successful with an early discharge as compared with the standard two day hospital stay.
Session: Poster Presentation
Program Number: P436
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