Patient Satisfaction is Equivalent for Inpatient and Outpatient Minimally-Invasive Adrenalectomy

Same-day surgery in the carefully selected patient decreases costs, improves inpatient capacity, and decreases patient exposure to hospital-acquired conditions. Outpatient adrenalectomy has been shown to be safe and effective, but patients' perspectives have yet to be addressed. This study compares patient satisfaction following inpatient and outpatient adrenalectomy.

An institutional database was queried for minimally-invasive adrenalectomies performed from 2017 to 2020. Patients were contacted up to two times to participate in a phone survey consisting of 25 questions modeled after the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (OAS CAHPS) assessing preparation for surgery, discharge experience, post-operative course, and overall satisfaction. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal Wallis, Wilcoxon-Mann Whitney, and Chi-square tests, as appropriate.

One hundred five adrenalectomy patients were identified, of which 98 were contacted and 58 responded (59%). Two surgeons contributed patients, with no difference in the percentage of patients in the outpatient group (51.7% versus 62.1%, P = 0.423). Outpatient adrenalectomy patients had slightly higher overall experience scores, but this difference was not statistically significant (9.12 ± 1.36 versus 8.93 ± 1.51, P = 0.367). Patients undergoing outpatient adrenalectomy were more likely to have their discharge plan discussed pre-operatively (94% versus 62%, P = 0.005), but no significant differences were noted between inpatient and outpatient groups regarding preparation for surgery, readiness for discharge, night of surgery experiences, or self-reported pain or complications (P > 0.05 for all). Significantly higher overall experience scores were reported by patients counseled about their discharge plan (9.27 versus 7.9, P = 0.036), felt prepared for recovery (9.39 versus 5.5, P < 0.001), received information about pain control (9.13 versus 7.00, P = 0.031), felt prepared at time of discharge (9.33 versus 5.80, P < 0.001), and received information about potential complications (9.29 versus 7.00, P = 0.001). Although not statistically significant, there was a trend towards outpatients being more likely to choose the same approach if they were to undergo surgery again (97% versus 84%, P = 0.081).

Patient satisfaction following adrenalectomy is significantly associated with patients' self-reported degree of preparation for surgery and discharge, with no significant difference in patient satisfaction between inpatient and outpatient groups. Patients undergoing outpatient adrenalectomy would be likely to choose the same approach compared to inpatients. Targeted pre-operative counseling can contribute to enhanced patient outcomes for all patients undergoing adrenalectomy.