Adenoidectomy as day surgery: feasibility and outcomes

Adenoidectomy performed as day surgery is a safe and cost-effective procedure, but patients may be occasionally admitted overnight due to the need for extended care. This study investigates the unplanned admission rate following day surgery adenoidectomy in children.

Data from 3,396 children who underwent adenoidectomy from 2010 to 2023 were retrospectively collected in a tertiary centre. Inclusion criteria were age > 2 years and ASA score I-II. The study focused on evaluating factors such as age, gender, duration of surgery, surgeon's experience, adverse events and multiple surgeries. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed, and ROC curves were built for continuous variables.

The unplanned admission rate was 2.3%, with postoperative nausea/vomiting being the most common complication. Respiratory complications were notably low. Factors associated with unplanned admission at multivariate analysis included the end time of surgery (p < 0.001), surgical duration (p = 0.001) and surgeon's experience (p < 0.001).

This study confirms the safety and feasibility of adenoidectomy as day surgery in a tertiary centre, with a low unplanned admission rate and infrequent serious complications. Further studies are needed to generalise these findings to different settings and populations.