title: Optimizing outcomes in bariatric surgery: outpatient laparoscopic gastric bypass.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective treatment of severe obesity and one of the fastest growing surgical procedures in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  A single institution prospective database of patients undergoing outpatient laparoscopic (lap) RYGB over a 3-year period was reviewed. Study end points included hospital discharge within 23 hours, 30-day hospital readmission rate, early (<30 day) and late complication rates, and 30-day perioperative mortality. Variables assessed included surgeon experience, patient demographics, comorbidities, operative time, Roux limb pathway, intraoperative steroid bolus, and use of dexmedetomidine.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two thousand consecutive patients undergoing outpatient lap RYGB were identified, and 84% (n = 1669) were discharged within 23 hours. Of these, 1.7% (n = 34) were readmitted within 30 days. The overall early and late complication rates were 1.9% (n = 38) and 4.3% (n = 86), respectively. The 30-day mortality rate was 0.1% (n = 2), and neither patient was discharged before death. Univariate analysis demonstrated surgeon experience (<50 cases), age (<56 years), body mass index (<60 kg/m), weight (400 lbs), comorbidities (<5), and intraoperative steroid bolus as predictive of successful outpatient discharge. Multivariate analysis revealed surgeon experience, comorbidities, body mass index, and steroid bolus as predictive variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that outpatient lap RYGB can be performed with acceptable perioperative complication rates, hospital readmission, and mortality rates. Surgeon experience, careful patient selection, and the use of intraoperative steroid bolus predicted optimal patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75246, USA. ToddMc@BaylorHealth.edu
authors.forename: Todd M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lamont
authors.forename: Tammy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kuhn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015390:Gastric Bypass / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000601:surgery*; D010045:Outpatients; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016896:Treatment Outcome