IS DAY-CASE SURGERY IN UROLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH ADMISSION RATES

The nature of the procedures and patients in urological day surgery ma y lead to high admission rates. A retrospective audit was performed ov er 8 years (1988 to 1996) to determine admission rates in a urological day surgical unit and examine reasons for and methods of decreasing a dmissions. The overall admission rate was 9.3%. Higher rates were asso ciated with cystoscopic procedures, with 46% of admissions after bladd er tumour cystosurveillance and a further 18% after urethroscopic surg ery for urethral strictures. There was a surgical indication for admis sion in 72% of cases, with an anaesthetic indication in 17%. The study demonstrates that admission rates accompanying urological day surgery are higher than the 3% proposed by The Royal College of Surgeons of E ngland. Achieving a rate of 3% may require restrictive patient selecti on that will deprive some patients the benefits associated with urolog ical day surgical care.