Acute surgical unit safely reduces unnecessary after-hours cholecystectomy

The acute surgical model has been trialled in several institutions with mixed results. The aim of this study was to determine whether the acute surgical model provides better outcomes for patients with acute biliary presentation, compared with the traditional emergency surgery model of care. A retrospective review was carried out of patients who were admitted for management of acute biliary presentation, before and after the establishment of an acute surgical unit (ASU). Outcomes measured were time to operation, operating time, after-hours operation (6pm - 8am), length of stay and surgical complications. A total of 342 patients presented with acute biliary symptoms and were managed operatively. The median time to operation was significantly reduced in the ASU group (32.4 vs 25.4 hours, p=0.047), as were the proportion of operations performed after hours (19.5% vs 2.5%, p