Purpose: To investigate factors that influence postoperative in-hospital length of stay (LOS) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) undergoing bowel surgery. Furthermore, the study aimed to evaluate LOS as a surrogate for postoperative outcome.
Methods: This is a multicentre retrospective cohort study. Inclusion criteria were adult patients with CD who underwent bowel surgery with either anastomosis or stricturoplasty. All timings of surgeries were included regardless of the method of access to the abdominal cavities. Patients with stoma were excluded. Demographic data, preoperative medications, previous operations for CD, preoperative sepsis, and operation were recorded. Primary outcome was LOS while secondary outcome variable was postoperative complications.
Results: A total of 449 patients who underwent abdominal surgery for CD were included. Of the 449 patients, 265 were female (59%). Median age was 37 years (IQR = 20), median LOS was 7 days (IQR = 6). Patients with longer LOS had higher rates of re-laparotomy/re-laparoscopy (45/228 (19.7%) versus 9/219 (4.1%) p = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, age (OR = 1.024 [CI 95% 1.007-1.041], p = 0.005), preoperative intra-abdominal abscess (OR = 0.39 [CI 95% 0.185-0.821], p = 0.013), and previous laparotomy/laparoscopy (OR = 0.57 [CI 95% 0.334-0.918], p = 0.021) were associated with prolonged LOS. LOS correlated with postoperative complications after adjustment for age, gender, previous laparotomy/laparoscopy, and preoperative intra-abdominal abscesses (OR = 1.28 [CI 95% 1.199-1.366], p < 0.0001).
Conclusion: Age, preoperative intra-abdominal abscess, and previous laparotomy/laparoscopy significantly prolonged LOS. LOS correlated with postoperative complications and can therefore be used in epidemiological or register-based studies as a surrogate for postoperative outcome.
Keywords: Crohn’s disease; Inflammatory bowel disease; Length of postoperative stay in hospital; Postoperative complications; Surgery.