Result of 310 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication as hospital outpatients or at a free-standing surgery center.

Recently, several studies were published regarding the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication as an outpatient procedure. However, in these studies the patients were discharged within 24 h and considered to be outpatients. In our study, the author performed 310 procedures on an outpatient basis at a hospital or free-standing surgery center. The study analyzed intraoperative complications, readmission after discharge, length of dysphagia, resumption of regular diet, effectiveness, and the use of antireflux medications after the procedure. The study concluded that with the outpatient procedure, there is no increase in morbidity, mortality, readmission, or long-term effectiveness, as compared with inpatient procedures. Outpatient laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication makes the procedure much more attractive to most patients.