Prolonged length of stay in delayed cholecystectomy is not due to intraoperative or postoperative contributors

Previous studies have reported that same-day laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis is superior to delayed elective cholecystectomy. Although this practice is ideal, it requires significant hospital resources, particularly for an underprivileged inner-city population at a large, municipal hospital. We sought to evaluate the implementation of same-day laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a large, municipal hospital and assess the possible benefits of decreasing preoperative length of stay (LOS), particularly its effect on operative time and length of stay in patients with acute cholecystitis.

This was a retrospective chart review of patients treated for symptomatic gallstone disease between September 2012 and November 2013. Medical records were reviewed, and relevant data points were collected. Univariate and multivariate regressions were performed to assess the correlation between time to operation (<36 h [no delay] or >36 h [delay]) and the main outcomes (operative time and total length of stay). Inclusion criteria were patients age ≥18 y who underwent same-admission cholecystectomy and had a diagnosis of cholecystitis on pathology. Eighty-eight patients met all inclusion criteria.

The mean (standard deviation) preoperative LOS was 76.2 (±48.6) h, the mean operative time was 2.3 (±1.1) h, and the mean postoperative LOS was 60.3 (±60.1) h. The average total LOS was 136 (±79.8) h. Operative times and postoperative LOS were similar for patients in the delay and no delay groups. Patients with >36 h wait before surgery had a total length of stay twice as long as patients with <36 h wait (152 versus 83.3 h; P = 0.0005). These findings remained significant when adjusted for age, sex, radiologic findings, number of preoperative tests, and pathology.

Increased preoperative LOS is not associated with a significant increase in operative time. However, it was associated with significantly increased length of stay. Further analysis is needed to explore the potential cost savings of decreasing preoperative LOS.