Duration of hospital stay after gynaecologic laparoscopic surgery: preferences of patients.

Purpose: To investigate patients preferences concerning the duration of hospital stay after gynaecologic laparoscopic surgery due to benign conditions.

Methods: This study included women who underwent gynaecologic laparoscopic surgery due to benign conditions between November 2010 and November 2011 at the University Medical Centre Mannheim, Germany. Only women undergoing laparoscopy with four incisions were included. Demographic parameters, type and duration of surgery, perioperative complications and duration of hospital stay were analysed. Women were contacted using a standardized telephone survey. The patients were interviewed regarding the duration of hospital stay and their preferences concerning this matter.

Results: A total of 141 patients fitted the inclusion criteria. Eighty-seven of them (61.7 %) were willing to take part in the study; 63 of the women (72.4 %) did not correctly remember the duration of hospital stay in detail; 40 patients (46.0 %) thought it was longer; and 23 of the patients (26.4 %) remembered a shorter stay. For 4 of the 87 women (4.6 %), the duration was too long, and for 14 (16.1 %), the duration of hospital stay after laparoscopy was too short. Women who considered the duration of hospital stay as too long underwent prior abdominal surgery significantly more often.

Conclusion: The majority of the patients did not remember the duration of hospital stay correctly. Additionally, more women considered inpatient treatment as too short compared to patients who rated inpatient treatment as too long.