Patient-Reported Outcomes for Acute Gallstone Pathology

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Outcomes
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Surgical trials and guidelines emphasize hospital stay length and daycase rates post-cholecystectomy.
• Patient perspectives on these outcomes remain largely unexamined.
• Acute gallstone pathology necessitates understanding patient priorities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient-valued factors in acute gallstone pathology management.
• To compare patient priorities with current clinical guidelines for cholecystectomy.

Main Methods:

• A 41-item survey was developed using existing trial outcomes and preliminary patient input.
• Prospective data collection from patients awaiting cholecystectomy for acute gallstone pathology.
• Patients rated the importance of various surgical outcomes on a scale of 0-100.

Main Results:

• Long-term quality of life post-surgery was the highest-rated factor (median 97/100).
• Ward cleanliness and post-operative pain control also scored highly (median 96/100).
• Daycase treatment was the lowest-rated factor (median 54/100).

Conclusions:

• Patient priorities for cholecystectomy focus on long-term well-being and immediate post-operative care.
• Daycase surgery is a low priority for patients with acute gallstone pathology.
• Findings suggest a need to re-evaluate clinical guidelines and trial designs to incorporate patient-centered outcomes.