COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF THE USE OF ACERTO PROTOCOL IN MAJOR DIGESTIVE SURGERY

BACKGROUND: Hospital costs in surgery constitute a burden for the health system in all over the world. Multimodal protocols such as the ACERTO project enhance postoperative recovery. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the hospital costs in patients undergoing major digestive surgical procedures with or without the perioperative care strategies proposed by the ACERTO project. METHODS: Retrospective data from elective patients undergoing major digestive surgical procedures in a university hospital between January 2002 and December 2011 were collected. The investigation involved two phases: between January 2002 and December 2005, covering cases admitted before the implementation of the ACERTO protocol (pre-ACERTO period), and cases operated between January 2006 and December 2011, after implementation (ACERTO period). The primary outcome was the comparison of hospital costs between the two periods. As secondary end point, we compared length of stay (LOS), postoperative complications, surgical-site infection (SSI) rate, and mortality. RESULTS: We analyzed 381 patients (239 of the pre-ACERTO period and 142 of the ACERTO period) who underwent major procedures on the gastrointestinal tract. Patients operated after within the ACERTO protocol postoperative LOS had a median of 3 days shorter (p=0.001) when compared with pre-ACERTO period [median (IQR): 10 (12) days vs. 13 (12) days]. Mortality was similar between the two periods. Postoperative complications risk, however, was 29% greater (RR: 1.29; 95%CI 1.11-1.50) in the pre-ACERTO period (p=0.002). SSI risk was also greater in pre-ACERTO period (RR: 1.33; 95%CI 1.14-1.50). Costs (mean and SE) per patients were R$24,562.84 (1,349.33) before the implementation and R$19,912.81 (1,459.89) after the ACERTO protocol (p=0.02). CONCLUSION: The implementation of the ACERTO project in this University Hospital reduced the hospital costs in major digestive procedures. Moreover, the implementation of this modern perioperative care strategy also reduced postoperative complications, SSI risks, and LOS.