Complication and Readmission Rates following Same-Day Discharge after Percutaneous Renal Tumor Ablation

To evaluate readmission rate and complications in patients undergoing same-day discharge following percutaneous thermal ablation of renal tumors.

Patients undergoing same-day discharge following thermal ablation of renal tumors were reviewed. The primary outcome was the rate of readmission within 30 days of same-day discharge. The secondary outcomes included the rate and clinical outcomes of periprocedural complications.

Same-day discharge occurred in 166/174 patients (95%), of whom 2/166 (1%) required short-term readmission due to pulmonary embolism and acute-on-chronic kidney injury. Both patients recovered without permanent morbidity. Admission due to complications occurred in 8/174 (5%) cases, the majority of which were related to hemorrhage. No significant differences in rates of complications or admission were found between cryoablation and RF ablation. Major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade II or higher, SIR grade C or higher) occurred in 7/174 (4%) cases, the majority related to hemorrhage. All cases were detected in the standard 4 hour postprocedural observation period and managed conservatively. The mean hemorrhage volume was significantly larger in patients requiring admission versus those discharged the same day (289 mL vs 34 mL; P = .02). Higher-volume hemorrhage occurred in larger tumors (mean, 4.0 cm vs 3.0 cm; P = .04). There was no association between major complications and central tumor or age.

Routine same-day discharge following percutaneous renal tumor thermal ablation can be performed with a low rate of short-term readmission. The majority of periprocedural complications can be managed conservatively, and patients can be discharged the same day.