Day-case Bladder Surgery Trends and Safety Profile in England

What is it about?

This study analyzed day-case bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) surgery practices in England over a 66-month period, from 2017 to 2022. The study identified 111,043 operations across 117 hospital trusts and found a linear increase in the day-case rate from 8.3% in January 2017 to 21.0% in June 2022. The analysis also found that day-case patients were younger and had fewer comorbidities. There were variations in day-case rates among hospitals, with some hospitals performing minimally invasive surgical technologies as day-case procedures, while others had high day-case rates for TURP and laser ablation operations. The study found that day-case BOO surgery can be safely developed irrespective of the operative modality.

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Photo by v2osk on Unsplash

Photo by v2osk on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is important because it provides valuable insights into the contemporary evolution of day-case bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) surgery in England, including the types of operations performed and their safety profiles. The study helps to identify positive outliers and offer a more detailed understanding of the different operative modalities used in day-case BOO surgery. The findings can be used to develop safer and more efficient care pathways for patients undergoing BOO surgery, potentially reducing Hospital Episode Statistics and UK Office for National Statistics data. Key Takeaways: 1. The study analyzed practices in hospitals across England with respect to day-case BOO surgery, demonstrating heterogeneity of approach and identifying positive outliers. 2. Day-case patients were younger, with fewer comorbidities, indicating that a degree of risk management is taking place when considering whether to offer day-case surgery. 3. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the monthly day-case rates increased linearly from January 2017 to June 2022, indicating that continued adaptation towards increased day-case surgery was incentivized broadly across the nation. 4. The findings suggest that day-case BOO surgery can be safely developed and that more hospitals should develop pathways to deliver day-case BOO surgery as a default option.