Short-stay daycare laparoscopic cholecystectomy at a dedicated daycare centre: Feasible or futile

BACKGROUND: In the last decade, laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become a regular daycare surgery at many centres across the world. However, only a few centres in India have a dedicated daycare surgery centre, and very few of them have reported their experience. Concerns remain regarding the feasibility, safety and acceptability of the introduction of daycare laparoscopic cholecystectomy (DCLC) in India. There is a need to assess the safety and acceptability of the implementation of short-stay DCLC service at a centre completely dedicated to daycare surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Comprehensive care and operative data were retrospectively collected from a daycare centre of our hospital. Postoperative recovery was monitored by telephone questionnaire on days 0, 1 and 5 postoperatively, including adverse outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 211 patients were admitted for DCLC during the period from November 2011 till November 2014, of whom 211 were discharged on the day of surgery. Two hundred and two patients could be discharged within 6 h of surgery. Mean operation time was 72 min. No patient required admission. No patient needed conversion to open surgery. Only 1 patient was re-admitted due to bilioma formation and was managed with minimal intervention. CONCLUSION: The introduction of short-stay DCLC in India is feasible and acceptable to patients. High body mass index (BMI) in otherwise healthy patients and selective additional procedures are not contraindications for DCLC.