Day-case paediatric surgery: the only choice.
Since January 1989 a policy of day-case surgery has been adopted for suitable paediatric procedures by one firm (MEF) at East Glamorgan Hospital. There have been 184 children treated to date, with an age range of 4 weeks to 13 years. There were 58 circumcisions, 48 hernias, 35 orchidopexies, 18 hydrocoeles and 25 miscellaneous procedures performed with no significant complications. All children were given a general anaesthetic, 42 procedures (22%) were performed using endotracheal intubation, the remainder with a facemask. Postoperative analgesia was provided in most cases by local wound infiltration with bupivacaine 0.25%. The average length of stay before January 1989 was 3 days and 2 nights for similar cases. Cost analysis shows significant potential financial savings of 105 pounds per patient treated. The implications for future planning are discussed.
Sadler
G P
GP
East Glamorgan General Hospital, Church Village, Mid Glamorgan.
Richards
H
H
Watkins
G
G
Foster
M E
ME
D000293:Adolescent; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002944:Circumcision, Male / Q000379:methods; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D059685:Herniorrhaphy; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000191:economics*; D006848:Testicular Hydrocele / Q000601:surgery; D013737:Testis / Q000601:surgery; D006113:United Kingdom