Patient Satisfaction with Same-Day Discharge after Urogynecologic Surgery during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Background Patient satisfaction with same-day discharge after apical prolapse surgery has not been studied in the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic. Widespread implementation of same-day discharge for urogynecologic procedures has the potential to decrease hospital crowding, cost to patients, and the potential risks of in-patient stays, which are especially important to consider amid an ongoing pandemic. This study aims to investigate patient satisfaction with same-day discharge after minimally invasive urogynecologic surgery for apical vaginal prolapse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients and Methods All patients undergoing apical prolapse surgery at a single academic institution during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to December 2021 were queried using applicable CPT codes. In this observational cohort study, each participant was surveyed by phone. The validated Surgical Satisfaction Questionnaire (SSQ-8) was used to assess general satisfaction with the surgical experience, and additional questions were asked to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patient satisfaction. Results One hundred and twenty-six patients met inclusion criteria and 60 patients (47.6%) chose to participate in the study. SSQ-8 scores revealed high overall satisfaction with the surgical experience (34.7 ± 5.7 out of 40). The majority of patients, 43 (71.7%), found that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had “no impact” on their surgical satisfaction. Conclusions Same-day discharge after surgery for apical vaginal prolapse is regarded as highly satisfactory and safe by the majority of patients. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic had no impact on patient satisfaction with same-day discharge after urogynecologic surgery at our institution.