PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Mervyn Letts
AU  - Darin Davidson
AU  - William Splinter
AU  - Patricia Conway
TI  - Analysis of the efficacy of pediatric day surgery
DP  - 2001 Jun 01
TA  - Canadian Journal of Surgery
PG  - 193--198
VI  - 44
IP  - 3
4099  - http://canjsurg.ca/content/44/3/193.short
4100  - http://canjsurg.ca/content/44/3/193.full
SO  - CAN J SURG2001 Jun 01; 44
AB  - Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of a pediatric day surgery program and its benefits to the child and family.Design: A review and analysis of prospectively gathered data.Setting: The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), a university-affiliated pediatric centre with a referral base of 2.5 million people.Patients: All children undergoing day surgery at CHEO during the 5 years between 1992 and 1997.Interventions: All surgical procedures performed on a day surgery basis.Main outcome measures: Procedures performed, complications and unexpected admissions.Results: An average of 4899 children per year underwent surgical procedures in the ambulatory day surgery program. The 4 commonest procedures performed were myringotomy, tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, dental procedures, and inguinal hernia repair. The majority of children were between 2 and 7 years of age. Complications were few, averaging 1.6% per year, with postoperative bleeding, primarily secondary to tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, being the most common. None resulted in permanent disability and there were no deaths.Conclusions: Pediatric day surgery is a safe and cost-effective program that benefits the child, the family and the pediatric surgical program.