Readmissions after cholecystectomy in a tertiary UK centre: Incidence, causes and burden

Although cholecystectomy is a widely performed procedure, post-operative readmissions place a heavy burden on healthcare facilities.

This study assesses the incidence, causes and burden of 30-day readmissions after cholecystectomy in a tertiary UK centre.

This study was conducted at a university hospital, and the study design involves retrospective cohort study.

Information was obtained from our prospectively maintained database and hospital's computerised records.

The encounters are expressed in numbers and percentages. The hospital stay, body mass index and age are expressed in mean, standard deviation (SD), min-max and median. Microsoft Excel® was used to calculate the means, SD, min-max and median.

Out of the 1140 cholecystectomies performed over this time, there were 75 true readmissions and 29 revisits; thus, the actual readmission rate is 6.58%. Non-specific abdominal pain ± deranged liver function test (LFT) is the most common cause of readmissions/ revisits in (38; 36.54%) cases, followed by (18; 17.31%) wound infections and (12; 11.54%) collections/bile leaks/abscess. This cost the centre 93 scans, 30 procedures and 295 days of hospital stay.

Non-specific abdominal pain ± deranged LFT is the most common cause of readmissions/revisits in the centre. Readmissions after a cholecystectomy are a significant encumbrance.