Early Postoperative Extubation is Associated with Shorter Hospitalization and Improved Short-Term Survival in Patients Undergoing Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy.

Background: Cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is associated with significant operative time, hospital resources, and morbidity. We examine factors associated with hospital length of stay (LOS) and early overall survival (OS) after CRS/HIPEC.

Materials And Methods: Patients who underwent CRS/HIPEC were evaluated for factors associated with LOS. Institutional learning curve influence was addressed by comparing early vs late cohorts. Variables with < .200 after univariate analysis were considered for inclusion in multivariate linear regression modeling. Independent factors associated with OS were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: Seventy patients underwent CRS/HIPEC (mean age 52.3 years, 64.3% female, and 68.6% Caucasian). Presence of any surgical complication was found in 26 (37.1%), 28 (40%) remained intubated postoperatively, and the mean Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Index (PCI) score was 14.4 (10.4). Mean intensive care unit and hospital LOS were 2.9 days (2.3) and 9.6 days (3.6), respectively. After adjusting for covariates, only shorter time to postoperative ambulation (regression coefficient .92, .001) and early extubation (regression coefficient -1.90, .018) were associated with decreased hospital LOS on multivariate analysis. Immediate postoperative extubation conferred an independent early survival benefit on Kaplan-Meier analysis (mean OS 714.8 vs 473.4 days, = .010). There was no difference in hospital LOS or OS between early and late cohorts.

Conclusion: Early postoperative extubation and shorter time to ambulation are associated with decreased hospital LOS. Moreover, CRS/HIPEC patients extubated immediately postoperatively have an early survival benefit. Every effort should be made to achieve early postoperative extubation and mobilization in CRS/HIPEC patients.