Factors influencing early postoperative recovery after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) can prolong survival in selected patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). However, there is little data on patients' recovery process after this complex treatment. This study aimed to describe the in-hospital postoperative recovery and factors related to the recovery of patients who undergo CRS and HIPEC. METHOD: A retrospective audit of the electronic health record (EHR) was undertaken for 76 PC patients (42 women, 34 men) treated primarily with CRS and HIPEC between 2005 and 2006 in Sweden. RESULTS: Oral intake, regaining bowel functions and mobilisation usually occurred between 7 and 11 days postoperatively. Patients experienced nausea for up to 13 days postoperatively. Forty-two patients were satisfied with their pain management, which usually took the form of epidural anaesthesia and which continued for about one week post-surgery. Sleep disturbance was observed in 51 patients and psychological problems in 49 patients during the first three postoperative weeks. Tumour burden, stoma formation, use of CPAP, primary diagnosis, and the length of stay in the ICU were factors related to an early recovery process. CONCLUSION: Drinking, eating, regaining bowel functions and mobilisation were re-established within 11 days of CRS and HIPEC. Tumour burden, stoma formation, use of CPAP, primary diagnosis and the length of stay in the ICU all had an impact on postoperative recovery, and should be discussed with the patients preoperatively and taken into consideration in designing an individualised patient care plan, in order to attain a more efficient recovery.

Job satisfaction or production? How staff and leadership understand operating room efficiency: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: How to increase efficiency in operating departments has been widely studied. However, there is no overall definition of efficiency. Supervisors urging staff to work efficiently may meet strong reactions due to staff believing that demands for efficiency means just stress at work. Differences in how efficiency is understood may constitute an obstacle to supervisors' efforts to promote it. This study aimed to explore how staff and leadership understand operating room efficiency. METHODS: Twenty-one members of staff and supervisors in an operating department in a Swedish county hospital were interviewed. The analysis was performed with a phenomenographic approach that aims to discover the variations in how a phenomenon is understood by a group of people. RESULTS: Six categories were found in the understanding of operation room efficiency: (A) having the right qualifications; (B) enjoying work; (C) planning and having good control and overview; (D) each professional performing the correct tasks; (E) completing a work assignment; and (F) producing as much as possible per time unit. The most significant finding was that most of the nurses and assistant nurses understood efficiency as individual knowledge and experience emphasizing the importance of the work process, whereas the supervisors and physicians understood efficiency in terms of production per time unit or completing an assignment. CONCLUSIONS: The concept 'operating room efficiency' is understood in different ways by leadership and staff members. Supervisors who are aware of this variation will have better prerequisites for defining the concept and for creating a common platform towards becoming efficient.