General Surgery Residency and Emergency General Surgery Service Reduces Readmission Rates and Length of Stay in Nonoperative Small Bowel Obstruction

Background Nonoperative management of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) results in resolution for the majority of patients. Previous studies have demonstrated that outcomes for patients with ASBO are improved when patients are admitted to a surgical service, but the effect of general surgery resident coverage is unclear. This study measures quality outcomes for patients with ASBO after the establishment of a new general surgery residency program. Methods An institutional review board-approved retrospective chart review of admissions for ASBO was conducted following the implementation of a protocol for ASBO nested within a newly developed resident-run emergency general surgery (EGS) service. Patients successfully treated without operative intervention were analyzed. Results During the study period, 612 patients were admitted for ASBO. After initiation of the residency, 74% of ASBO were admitted to a surgical service compared with 35% prior to residency (P < .01). Length of stay was reduced by 0.77 days (P = .016), average direct total cost per patient was reduced by 24% (P = .002), and 30-day readmissions were reduced by 35.7% (P = .046). There was no significant difference in mortality (1.4% vs 1.0%). Discussion Admission to a resident-run surgical service was associated with statistically significant improvement in outcomes for patients with ASBO. These data corroborate prior studies demonstrating the positive impact of residency programs on patient outcomes and provide additional evidence that general surgery residency programs improve outcomes for patients with surgical disease.