Days alive and out of hospital after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Abstract

Background: Days alive and out of hospital (DAOH) is a metric that incorporates several outcomes into a single, standardized measure. This study aimed to explore the utility of DAOH in assessing the outcomes of a retrospective cohort of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Methods: Patients undergoing LC at Auckland City Hospital between 1 January 2010 and 31 August 2015 were included. DAOH values were calculated for the 90 days from the date of surgery (DAOH90) and described using median and interquartile ranges (IQR). DAOH90 distributions were compared using a two-tailed (non-parametric) Wilcoxon-Mann–Whitney test. Results: 1652 patients undergoing LC were studied. Patients experiencing complications (n = 70, 4.2%) had fewer DAOH90 (median 83, IQR 79, 86) than patients who underwent uncomplicated LC (median 88, IQR 86, 88), P < 0.001. Patients who were converted to open cholecystectomy (n = 70, 4.2%) also had fewer DAOH90 (median 82.5, IQR 79, 84) than patients who underwent uncomplicated LC, P < 0.001. Post-operative complications and conversion had a statistically significant effect on DAOH90 at each of the tested quantiles, except for conversion at the 0.1 quantile. Conclusion: DAOH90 is readily calculable from existing New Zealand administrative data sources and is sensitive to the occurrence of complications after LC.