The safety and feasibility of same-day discharge for the management of patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy

Abstract

ObjectivesIs same-day discharge mode safe and feasible for thoracoscopic lobectomy? This study assesses the safety and feasibility of same-day discharge for patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy. MethodsWe conducted a prospective cohort study from January to December 2022, all patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy were screened for eligibility, and participating eligible patients were separated into a same-day discharge lobectomy (SDDL) group and an inpatient lobectomy (InpL) group based upon length of stay. All discharged patients underwent 30-day postoperative follow-up performed by a team of medical professionals. In addition, eligible patients that underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy from January to December 2021 were included in the historical lobectomy (HisL) group. ResultsOf the 52 patients that met the eligibility criteria for same-day discharge, 17 were discharged within 24 h after surgery. In the SDDL group, of whom 1 (5.9%) underwent emergency treatment and readmission within 30 days after surgery due to a pulmonary infection, no patients experienced complications such as reoperation, air leakage, atelectasis, chylothorax, or blood transfusion events during the follow-up period. No differences in overall postoperative complication rates were detected between the SDDL and InpL groups (P>0.05), there was a non-significantly higher rate of readmission and emergency visits in the SDDL group relative to the other two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionsThese results emphasize the safety and feasibility of same-day discharge for patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy, it may further revolutionize the general approach to the hospitalization of thoracoscopic lobectomy patients.