Implications of a reduced length of hospital stay after ENT day surgery on the quality and costs of health care

We have reduced the minimum length of hospital stay after ENT day surgery performed under general anaesthesia from two hours (group I) to one hour (group II). The length of hospital stay (88 minutes) was reduced by 58 minutes (40%) in group II compared to group I. The incidence of postoperative pain (approximate to 20%) and patient satisfaction (10/10) was comparable between the two groups. The incidence of nausea/vomiting after discharge was almost three times higher in group II (16%) than in group I. In a setting of three theatres and four post-anaesthesia care units, this could mean that, if circumstances are optimal, an annual rise in profit of 415.000 E may be achieved by reducing the length of hospital stay.