P-EGS28 Management of obstructive jaundice secondary to gall stones in an ambulatory setting

Abstract

Abstract Background Our data from Leeds shows a 30% increase in patient attendance to the Surgical Assesment Unit (SAU) across a 5 year period, putting unprecedented demands on the acute surgical service. A new Ambulatory Surgical Centre (ASC) was established for the advancement of ambulatory care pathways that would ensure that acute patients are seen promptly and kept safe with monitoring in an appropriate setting without needing admission to the hospital bed base. Gallstone related disease accounts for a third of patient attendance to the emergency surgical services. We present our experience with an ambulatory pathway to manage patients with obstructive jaundice caused by gall stones, and propose a protocol driven pathway. Methods The ASC operates an acute, consultant led clinic, with access to urgent blood tests and dedicated USS, CT and MRI imaging capacity, and offers a direct referral service from Primary Care Networks (PCNs) through the Primary Care Access Line (PCAL). Patients referred with clinical jaundice or RUQ/Epigastric pain are investigated for derangement in their liver function, and assessed for the presence and severity of Acute Cholangitis (AC), according to the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines. Patients without evidence of cholangitis, or with AC Grade I are planned for management in the ambulatory setting, including investigations, monitoring and endoscopic/surgical intervention. Outcome data was collected retrospectively from PCAL data source, spanning from Oct 2020 till July 2021. Results A total of 98 patients were referred to the acute surgical service during this period. Out of these, 47% had Grade II (n = 35) or Grade III (n = 17) AC. 48% were suitable for ambulatory management, with no evidence of AC(n = 5) or Grade I AC(n = 43). 20% patients were found to have a cause other than gall stone disease. 55% have undergone intervention (33 Laparoscopic cholecystectomies, 22 ERCP) while 12 are on the waiting list for surgery. Conclusions Our protocol offers a safe, comprehensive and timely pathway for the management of patients with gall stone related obstructed jaundice in an ambulatory setting. This has helped reduce the demand on hospital beds for surgical patients.