Same-day surgery for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence: Assessing satisfaction and morbidity

ERAS for Ambulatory TURBT: Enhancing Bladder Cancer Care (EMBRACE) randomised controlled trial protocol

INTRODUCTION

Transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT) is one of the more common procedures performed by urologists. It is often described as an 'incision-free' and 'well-tolerated' operation. However, many patients experience distress and discomfort with the procedure. Substantial opportunity exists to improve the TURBT experience. An enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol designed by patients with bladder cancer and their providers has been developed.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This is a single-centre, randomised controlled trial to investigate the effectiveness of an ERAS protocol compared with usual care in patients with bladder cancer undergoing ambulatory TURBT. The ERAS protocol is composed of preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative components designed to optimise each phase of perioperative care. 100 patients with suspected or known bladder cancer aged ≥18 years undergoing initial or repeat ambulatory TURBT will be enrolled. The change in Quality of Recovery 15 score, a measure of the quality of recovery, between the day of surgery and postoperative day 1 will be compared between the ERAS and control groups.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial has been approved by the Johns Hopkins Institutional Review Board #00392063. Participants will provide informed consent to participate before taking part in the study. Results will be reported in a separate publication.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05905276.

Dexamethasone administration to improve patient recovery in ambulatory vaginal reconstructive surgery: a randomized prospective trial

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Dexamethasone is a potent glucocorticoid that may improve quality of recovery (QoR). We hypothesized that standard administration of dexamethasone at induction may improve QoR compared to placebo in subjects undergoing ambulatory vaginal reconstructive surgeries.

METHODS

This was a randomized prospective clinical trial on subjects scheduled for ambulatory vaginal reconstructive surgery for prolapse and/or urinary incontinence. Intervention arm subjects were administered dexamethasone and the control group, a placebo (normal saline). Timing of administration, anesthesia medications, postoperative pain medications, and antiemetics were standardized. Primary outcome was difference in QoR (QoR-40) scores 24-48 h after surgery. Power analysis estimated that 27 subjects were required in each group to detect a difference in QoR-40 scores with 80% power and an alpha of 0.05.

RESULTS

Fifty-one subjects were enrolled and randomized. 4 withdrew, 1 was excluded, and 46 were analyzed. For the primary outcome, there was no difference in the QoR-40 between the dexamethasone and placebo group (--13.5 vs -19.6, p=0.24). Postoperative nausea vomiting intensity scores were not different (8.33 vs 9.09, p=1). Pain scores were similar in the two groups (6.0 vs 4.7, p=0.12). Although not statistically significant, surgical satisfaction at 6 weeks was better with dexamethasone (23.5 vs 26.9, p=0.09).

CONCLUSION

Based on this study, a single dose of dexamethasone at the time of induction prior to ambulatory vaginal reconstructive surgery was not associated with improved QoR. Standardized anesthesia protocols may play a role in postoperative nausea, pain control, and thereby QoR in patients undergoing ambulatory vaginal reconstructive surgeries.

Same-day discharge across FPMRS surgical cases is safe and feasible: A 10-year single-surgeon experience

INTRODUCTION

Enhanced recovery after surgery protocols and increased attention to value-based care have led to the reconsideration of routine postoperative admission in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) cases. We aimed to assess trends in same-day discharge (SDD) and associated readmissions and emergency room visits in a single-surgeon 10-year experience.

METHODS

The electronic medical record was queried for 30-day outcomes (readmission and emergency department visits with associated indications) for all cases performed between June 2010 and August 2020 by a single FPMRS surgeon. Non-FPMRS specialty cases were excluded. Patient characteristics and 30-day outcomes were compared based on SDD status for the overall cohort as well as the subset of cases traditionally involving an overnight stay (i.e., robotic transabdominal, apical prolapse repair).

RESULTS

1793 surgeries were identified and analyzed, including 357 apical prolapse repairs, 370 slings, 392 neuromodulation and 114 complex mesh excisions. The majority (79.1%) had SDD. For admitted patients, mean length of stay was 1.5 (1.3) days. Among cases traditionally involving overnight stay, rates of SDD were significantly higher in 2020 than 2010 (84% vs. 32%, p < 0.001), and increased over time. Overall rates of 30-day readmission and ED visits were low (1.9% and 2.6%, respectively) and did not differ based on SDD status (p = 0.76). Readmissions occurred at mean 11.6 (7.0) days, most commonly for urinary tract infection (13/34).

CONCLUSIONS

SDD is not associated with increased 30-day readmission or ED visits across a wide breadth of FPMRS cases. SDD is safe and feasible in the majority of FPMRS cases.