Adenoidectomy as a day-case surgery: feasibility and outcomes| ACTA Otorhinolaryngologica Italica

Abstract

Objectives

The day-case adenoidectomy has developed as a safe and cost-effective procedure, but patients may be occasionally admitted overnight due to the need for extended care. This study investigates the unplanned admission rate following day-case adenoidectomy in children.

Methods

Data from 3396 children who underwent adenoidectomy from 2010 to 2023 were retrospectively collected in a tertiary center. Inclusion criteria were children aged > 2 years and ASA I-II. The study focused on evaluating factors such as age, sex, duration of surgery, surgeon experience, adverse events and multiple surgeries. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed and ROC curves were built for continuous variables.

Results

The unplanned admission rate was 2.3%, with postoperative nausea/vomiting being the most common complication. Respiratory complications were notably low. Factors associated with unplanned admission at multivariate analysis included the end time of surgery (p <0.001), surgical duration (p=0.001) and surgeon experience (p <0.001).

Conclusions

This study confirms the safety and feasibility of day-case adenoidectomy in a tertiary center, with a low unplanned admission rate and infrequent serious complications. Further studies are needed to generalize these findings to different settings and populations.