Optimizing outpatient neurosurgery: evaluating ambulatory surgery and same-day discharge following intracranial tumor surgery and endoscopic third ventriculostomy.

Objective: Outpatient surgery and same-day discharge are developing fields that align with the evolving needs of modern healthcare, presenting a notable advantage by reducing patient susceptibility to nosocomial infections, thromboembolic complications, and medical errors. When paired with enhanced recovery after surgery protocols, they hold promise in safely transitioning certain patients undergoing cranial surgery to outpatient care. This study aimed to evaluate discharge on the same day of surgery after intracranial tumor resection and endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and to investigate potential associations with anesthesia methods, complications, and readmission rates.
Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients scheduled for planned discharge on the same day of surgery between August 2020 and October 2023 was conducted. Data included patient demographic characteristics, preoperative clinical deficits, diagnosis, findings on preoperative and postoperative MRI, lesion characteristics, complications, and readmission rates.
Results: A total of 202 patients were included in the study. The mean age was 56.8 years and 117 (57.9%) patients were female. Patients were admitted the evening before surgery to obtain preoperative clearance and undergo MRI. The most common diagnoses were metastasis (23.3%), meningioma (20.8%), glioblastoma (12.4%), and low-grade glioma (10.4%). Craniotomy (46.5%), stereotactic needle biopsy (35.1), and ETV (6.9%) were the most common procedures performed. Thirteen (6.4%) patients underwent awake craniotomy, and 189 (93.6%) surgical procedures were conducted under general anesthesia. Complications occurred in 1.5% of patients, with no permanent complications observed during a mean follow-up of 9.3 months. In total, 179 (88.6%) patients were successfully discharged on the same day of surgery. The median length of hospitalization was 26.8 hours, with the median length of postoperative stay being 7 hours. Twenty-three (11.4%) patients were deemed ineligible for discharge on postoperative day 0 and instead discharged on postoperative day 1. The reasons for these delays included further clinical monitoring (n = 12), social factors (n = 4), and patient preference (n = 7). Age was positively correlated with length of hospitalization (p = 0.006). In total, 6.4% of patients were readmitted within 1-30 days after discharge, with 2.5% readmitted to the department of neurosurgery.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of discharge on the same day of surgery, with a high success rate and low complication rates. Early discharge did not increase morbidity or readmission rates. Implementation of clear discharge protocols and thorough patient education are crucial for successful same-day discharge programs in neurosurgery.