A "swing room" model based on regional anesthesia reduces turnover time and increases case throughput

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Ambulatory Surgery
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Traditional operating room models can lead to inefficiencies.
• Ambulatory care models aim to optimize patient flow and resource utilization.
• Regional anesthesia offers potential benefits over general anesthesia for certain procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel ambulatory care model utilizing two regional anesthesia swing operating rooms (RA-SRs) managed by one anesthesiologist.
• To compare this model against a traditional general anesthesia in a single operating room (GA-OR) model.
• To test the hypothesis that the RA-SR model improves efficiency and patient recovery.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study comparing 164 hand and wrist surgery patients.
• Patients in the RA-SR group received brachial plexus blockade (regional anesthesia).
• A matched historical control group received general anesthesia in a single operating room (GA-OR).

Main Results:

• RA-SR turnover time was significantly faster (15 min vs. 54 min).
• Home discharge time was quicker in the RA-SR group (28 min vs. 156 min).
• RA-SR model showed reduced need for postoperative nausea/pain interventions and increased daily case capacity by 56%.

Conclusions:

• The regional anesthesia swing operating room model significantly outperforms the traditional general anesthesia model.
• This innovative model enhances operating room efficiency, patient recovery, and surgical throughput.
• The findings support the adoption of RA-SR models in ambulatory surgical settings.