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

CONTEXT: Although cholecystectomy is a widely performed procedure, post-operative readmissions place a heavy burden on healthcare facilities. AIMS: This study assesses the incidence, causes and burden of 30-day readmissions after cholecystectomy in a tertiary UK centre. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This study was conducted at a university hospital, and the study design involves retrospective cohort study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Information was obtained from our prospectively maintained database and hospital's computerised records. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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.