A study in the Journal of Clinical Anesthesia compared the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient foot and ankle surgery, with particular emphasis on the effectiveness of analgesia in the two groups.
For the study, researchers identified 40 patients who received inpatient or outpatient elective complex hind-foot and ankle surgery; both inpatients and outpatient received a continuous perineural infusion of local anesthetic for 48 hours at the core of a multimodal analgesic regimen.
The researchers' primary outcome was functional outcome upon discharge from the surgical program, based upon the Lower Extremity Functional Score. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of complications and the total cost of care.
Here's what you need to know:
1. The inpatient and outpatient groups had similar functional outcomes.
2. Researchers reported no complications in either group; analgesia was effective in both groups.
3. Outpatients reported 54 percent lower cost of care than inpatients.
The researchers concluded, "outpatient care including an ambulatory perineural infusion of local anesthetic may be a cost-effective alternative to inpatient care after complex foot and ankle surgery."