title: Operating room scheduling is not associated with early outcome following elective anatomic lung resections: a propensity score case-matched analysis.
abstract: To investigate the effect of operating room scheduling on the outcome of patients undergoing elective lung resection.
  
  
  
  In total, 420 patients submitted to anatomical pulmonary resections (363 lobectomies, 35 pneumonectomies, 22 segmentectomies) (April 2014-November 2015) were analysed. Ninety-two patients (22%) were operated on during weekends (Friday or Saturday) and 161 patients (38%) in the afternoon. Propensity score matching was performed to account for possible selection bias between the groups. The matched groups (weekdays versus weekends; morning versus afternoon) were compared in terms of cardiopulmonary complications, in-hospital mortality and length of stay (LOS).
  
  
  
  In total, 102 (24%) patients developed cardiopulmonary complications and 56 (13%) patients developed major complications. In-hospital mortality was 3.1% (13 patients). The case-matched comparison between patients operated on during the week versus those operated on during weekends (92 pairs) showed no differences of cardiopulmonary morbidity (22 vs 24, P  = 0.8), major complications (14 in both groups), mortality (2 vs 4, P  = 0.7) and LOS (7 vs 7.5 days, P  = 0.6). The case-matched comparison between patients operated on in the morning versus those operated on in the afternoon (161 pairs) showed no differences of cardiopulmonary morbidity (32 vs 33, P  = 0.9), major morbidity (17 vs 19, P  = 1), mortality (7 vs 4, P  = 0.5) and LOS (7.2 vs 5.9 days, P  = 0.2).
  
  
  
  In our setting, operating room scheduling did not affect early outcome following elective lung resections, confirming the appropriate structural and procedural characteristics of a dedicated Thoracic Unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patella
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
authors.forename: Kostas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Papagiannopoulos
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milton
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Nilanjan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK|Department of Thoracic Surgery, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kefaloyannis
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunelli
mesh_terms: D039602:After-Hours Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D000368:Aged; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009873:Operating Rooms / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D057216:Propensity Score; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Appointments and schedules; Elective surgical procedures; Lung cancer surgery; Morbidity/mortality; Patient safety; Quality care indicators