Fast-track surgery in infants and children

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Published on: January 17, 2011

Marc Reismann1, Mirja von Kampen, Birgit Laupichler

  • 1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Hanover Medical School, 30625 Hanover, Germany.

Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|January 9, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Fast-track surgery is feasible in pediatric patients, significantly reducing hospital stays for procedures like pyeloplasty and appendectomy. This approach offers excellent patient comfort and outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Surgical Outcomes
  • Enhanced Recovery Pathways

Background:

  • Fast-track surgery protocols are not widely established for pediatric populations.
  • Investigating the feasibility of these protocols is crucial for improving pediatric surgical care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the feasibility of implementing fast-track surgical concepts in pediatric patients.
  • To evaluate the impact of fast-track protocols on hospitalization duration and patient comfort.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 159 pediatric patients undergoing various surgical procedures (pyeloplasty, appendectomy, etc.).
  • Implementation of fast-track protocols: immediate postoperative feeding, mobilization, and opioid-sparing analgesia.
  • Exclusion criteria: relevant comorbidities, reoperations, perforated appendicitis.
  • Comparison of hospital stay with German Diagnosis-Related Groups (DRG) data.

Main Results:

  • 71% of patients (113/159) were successfully treated with fast-track protocols without complications.
  • Mean hospital stay for fast-track patients was significantly shorter (2.3 days) compared to DRG data across all procedures.
  • High patient and parent satisfaction (96%) reported excellent comfort levels.

Conclusions:

  • Fast-track surgical concepts are highly feasible in pediatric surgery.
  • These protocols lead to significantly reduced hospital stays and high patient comfort.
  • Further adoption of fast-track surgery in pediatric care is recommended.
Abstract

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