Evaluation of postoperative results after a presurgical optimisation programme

Area of Science:

• Surgical Patient Care
• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Research

Background:

• Presurgical optimization programs improve patient outcomes by addressing physical, nutritional, and psychosocial factors.
• Multidisciplinary teams are typically involved in these programs.
• The study evaluated a presurgical optimization program led by a liaison nurse in a primary hospital setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a presurgical optimization program implemented by a liaison nurse.
• To evaluate the impact of the program on postoperative complications and healthcare resource utilization in major surgery patients.

Main Methods:

• An observational, retrospective, comparative study analyzed health records of major surgery patients from January 2019 to December 2022.
• Patients in the presurgical optimization program (intervention group) were compared to those receiving usual care (control group).
• The program included nutritional support, exercise, respiratory training, and psychological support. Postoperative complications and resource use were recorded.

Main Results:

• The intervention group (n=135) experienced significantly lower rates of immediate (25% vs 52.6%) and late (14.5% vs 34.2%) postoperative complications compared to the control group (n=76).
• Patients in the optimization program had shorter hospital stays (mean 8.34 vs 11.63 days) and fewer 30-day readmissions (7.6% vs 19.7%).
• The average duration of the presurgical optimization program was 20 days.

Conclusions:

• A presurgical optimization program, coordinated by a liaison nurse, effectively reduces immediate and late surgical complications.
• The program leads to decreased hospital stays and readmission rates in patients undergoing major surgery.
• This nursing-led intervention demonstrates significant benefits for surgical patient recovery and healthcare efficiency.