title: Is day surgery safe? A Danish multicentre study of morbidity after 57,709 day surgery procedures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Day surgery is expanding in several countries, and it is important to collect information about quality. The aim of this study was to assess morbidity and unanticipated hospital visits 0-30 days post-operatively in a large cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively recorded data from 57,709 day surgery procedures performed in eight day surgery centres over a 3-year period. We cross-checked with the National Patient Registry to identify complications 0-30 days post-operatively, and registrations from The Danish Register of Cause of Death were requested. We retrieved the records of 1174 patients to assign a relation between secondary contact and day surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall rate of return hospital visits was 1.21% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.30%] caused by a wide range of diagnoses. No deaths were definitely related to day surgery. The return hospital visits were due to haemorrhage/haematoma 0.50% (95% CI: 0.44-0.56%), infection 0.44% (95% CI: 0.38-0 49%) and thromboembolic events 0.03%. Major morbidity was rare. The surgical procedures with the highest rate of complication were tonsillectomies 11.4%, surgically induced abortions 3.13% and inguinal hernia repairs 1.23%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This large-scale Danish national study confirmed that day surgery is associated with a very low rate of return hospital visits. Despite the rapid expansion of day surgery, safety has been maintained, major morbidity being very rare, and no deaths being definitely related to day surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Herlev, Denmark. Birmaj01@heh.regionh.dk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Majholm
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Engbæk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartholdy
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oerding
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ahlburg
authors.forename: A-M G
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ulrik
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bill
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Langfrits
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Møller
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012042:Registries; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult