Same-day discharge (SDD) vs standard enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols for major colorectal surgery: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programs are well-established, resulting in improved outcomes and shorter length of hospital stay (LOS). Same-day discharge (SDD), or "hyper-ERAS", is a natural progression of ERAS. This systematic review aims to compare the safety and efficacy of SDD against conventional ERAS in colorectal surgery. METHODS: The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (394793). A systematic search was performed in major databases to identify relevant articles, and a narrative systematic review was performed. Primary outcomes were readmission rates and length of hospital stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes were operative time and blood loss, postoperative pain, morbidity, nausea or vomiting, and patient satisfaction. Risks of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included, with five single-arm and eight comparative studies, of which one was a randomised controlled trial. This comprised a total of 38,854 patients (SDD: 1622; ERAS: 37,232). Of the 1622 patients on the SDD pathway, 1590 patients (98%) were successfully discharged within 24 h of surgery. While most studies had an overall low risk of bias, there was considerable variability in inclusion criteria, types of surgery or anaesthesia, and discharge criteria. SDD resulted in a significantly reduced postoperative LOS, without increasing risk of 30-day readmission. Intraoperative blood loss and postoperative morbidity rates were comparable between both groups. Operative duration was shorter in the SDD group. Patient-reported satisfaction was high in the SDD cohort. CONCLUSION: SDD protocols appear to be safe and feasible in selected patients undergoing major colorectal operations. Randomised controlled trials are necessary to further substantiate these findings.

Is tacking the lax transversalis fascia an easy, safe and effective way to reduce the occurrence of seroma after laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty? A propensity score-matched and -adjusted analysis.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative seroma formation rate is higher in laparoscopic hernioplasty as compared with open repair. Tacking of lax transversalis fascia of direct inguinal hernia is one of the many methods described to reduce the incidence of seroma after laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty. Our objective is to investigate whether this technique is simple and reliable in reducing the incidence of seroma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 548 patients who underwent laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty between January 2011 and December 2017 was conducted. Patients demographics, operative data and post-operative complications were collected. 38 patients with transversalis fascia tacking were matched using one-to-one propensity score matching with another 38 patients without transversalis fascia tacking. Propensity score-matched analysis and propensity score-adjusted analysis were performed. RESULTS: Patients who underwent transversalis fascia tacking (tacking group) had a significant lower incidence of post-operative seroma, compared to the non-tacking group tacking vs non-tacking: 5.6% vs 28.6% (p = 0.0097) in propensity-score matched analysis and 5.6% vs 21.3% (p = 0.0153) in propensity-score adjusted analysis. There was no difference noted in the duration of the operation and post-operative complications, in particular post-operative pain. CONCLUSIONS: Tacking of lax transversalis facia to the symphysis pubis and Cooper's ligament is a simple yet safe and effective way to reduce the occurrence of seroma after laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty.