1. M K ALAM MS; FRCS ALMAAREFA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
DAY SURGERY
M K ALAM MS; FRCS
ALMAAREFA COLLEGE OF MEDICINE

2. ILOs At the end of this presentation students will be able to:
• Understand the meaning of day surgery.
• Describe the benefits and problems of day surgery.
• Describe the types of and the features of a desirable day surgery unit.
• Describe selection of suitable day-surgery procedure and patients.
Describe the methods of assessing patients.
Choose appropriate anaesthesia and analgesia
Describe discharge criteria

3. Definition Some confusion Ambulatory surgery
North America: 23 hours overnight stay
UK & Europe: Admission & discharge on the day of surgery
My practice: Admission 6.30 AM,
Observed 4-8 hours post-operatively,
Discharged usually before 8PM.

4. Introduction Increasingly important part of elective surgery
50% elective surgery in UK
>60% in USA and Canada
Patients particularly children prefer it.
Quality of care should same as inpatient.
Surgical outcome sometimes better than inpatient.

5. Benefits and problems Problems: Benefits:
Initial cost of setting up day-surgery units.
Needs good organisation/ management.
Resistance from medical staff.
Morbidity from anaesthesia/ surgery
Increased community care workload.
Burden of care passed to family.
Benefits:
Reduced cost.
High volume of patients.
Reduced waiting list.
In-patient beds freed for major/ emergencies.
Reduced DVT/ HAI.
Minimal disruption to patient’s life.
Early return to work.
Patients / children prefer it.

6. Types and facilities
Free- standing units built within community. Lack overnight facilities. Patients unable to be safely discharged requires ambulance transfer to a hospital
Hospital integrated units in a dedicated day ward , separate or part of existing theatre complex.
Most day surgery units use specialized day surgery trolleys instead of beds.

7. Desirable features of a day-surgery unit
Self contained ( reception, ward, theatre, and recovery area).
Adjacent parking.
Well laid out with good patient flow.
Equipped to the same high standard as in-patient facilities.
Protocols for selection, analgesia and discharge criteria.
Good record keeping
Support services readily available.
Trained and experienced staff.
Training and supervision
Team work between staff groups
Liaison with community services.

8. Criteria for suitable day-case procedures
Minimal physiological disturbance.
No excessive blood/ fluid loss.
Very low risk of postoperative bleeding/ airway problems.
Duration 1-2 hours(maximum).
Pain must be controllable with oral analgesia after discharge.
Patient reasonably ambulant afterwards.

9. Suitable day-surgery procedures in General surgery
Superficial lumps: Lipoma, sebaceous cyst etc.
Breast lumps: Excision, excision biopsy, gynaecomastia.
Varicose veins: Ligation, stripping, avulsions.
Hernia repair: Inguinal, femoral, PUH, small incisional.
Anal procedures: Lateral internal sphincterotomy, band ligation, sclerosant injection, haemorrhoidectomy
Laparoscopic cholecystectomy ( personal series > 400 cases)

10. Selection criteria for adult day-surgery patients for GA
A responsible adult to escort patient home.
A responsible adult to supervise & care patient home.
Patient living at a reasonable distance from health facility (1 hour).
Reasonable home circumstances- telephone, stairs, heating/cooling, toilet.
Patient fit and ambulant.
Patient not grossly obese (BMI < 35).
Patient able to climb one flight of stairs.

11. Patients not selected for day-surgery
CVS disease: Poorly controlled hypertension,, angina, CCF,MI, TIA within 6 months, symptomatic valvular disease, cardiomyopathy.
Respiratory disease: Severe asthma, COPD.
Diabetes: Poorly controlled, IDDM.
CRF, CLD.
Addicts: Narcotics, alcohol.
Psychiatric illness, MS, severe cervical spondylosis
Medications: Anticoagulants, steroids, GTN, digoxin, MAOI, antidysrythmics,

12. American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) classification
ASA 1: A healthy patient
ASA 2: Mild systemic disease, no functional limitation.
ASA 3: Severe systemic disease, some functional limitation.
ASA 4: Sever systemic disease, constant threat to life.
ASA 5: Moribund patient, not expected to survive next 24 hours.
* ASA 1,2 and some ASA3- suitable for day-surgery.

13. Methods of assessing patients
SOPD (History, examination, investigation, diagnosis)
Pre-assessments (surgeon,& anesthetist): Consultation, appropriate investigation, answer patient questions, written information about admission, operation and discharge.
Day surgery waiting list

14. Admission for surgery
Patient arrives to day-surgery unit fully prepared (GA-NPO from midnight).
Quick reassessment for any new problem.
Consent for surgery if not already signed.
Operation site marked.
Early on the operation list for GA(1st or 2nd – our practice) to allow enough recovery time.
LA cases- later on the list.

15. Anaesthesia and analgesia
GA, LA, RA al are used.
Newer techniques in GA: Total iv anaesthesia (TIVA) with propofol infusion, sevoflurane, use of laryngeal mask- more rapid recovery.
Pre-operative (1 hour before surgery) oral NSAID or paracetamol produce effective post-operative analgesia and reduced requirement of narcotics and its side effects.
Postoperative: IV paracetamol provide good analgesia.

16. Recovery Main problem: Postop. pain, nausea and vomiting (PONV)
Postoperative pain: Moderate- oral paracetamol, NSAID. Sever- short acting opiate(fentanyl).
Postoperative nausea/ vomiting: General measures- short-acting anaesthetic, preoperative non-opioid analgesia, minimizing fast time and preoperative IV fluid High risk patient are given ondansetron with dexamethasone (4-8 mg).

17. Discharge criteria
Postoperative visit by surgeon/anesthetist desirable.
Stable vital sign.
Well oriented patient.
Pain controlled and analgesics supplied.
Written information supplied (medication, wound care, bathing, return to normal activity, sign & symptoms indicating a problem, emergency telephone contact number and follow-up arrangements).
Minimal nausea or vomiting.
No bleeding from the wound.
Responsible adult to take home and care for 24 hours.

18. Thank you!