EP369 - Abscess as unplanned returns to theatres in Emergency General Surgery

Abstract Aim Unplanned Return to Theatre (URTT) impacts patient care along with financial and legal implications on hospital resources. This can be reduced by identifying the contributing factors and measures taken to rectify them. This study was conducted at District General Hospital in England, aims to review the incidence of URTT in Emergency General Surgery and identify the preventable causes. Method A retrospective review was conducted for all Emergency General Surgical Procedures done between 1st January 2019 to 31st January 2021. The data was obtained from the Hospital data softwares Fusion and Bluespier, in addition to the paper notes. The operations were classified as index operation, followed by the number of returns and the indication for the URTT. Result A total number of 1578 emergency general surgery operations were performed during a period of 25 months (Jan 2019 to January 2021). The unplanned return to theatres (URTT) were 85 (5.3%), with a 90-day mortality of 16. Among these, 29.4% (25) URTT were abscess. The major reason (66%) for this URRT was inadequate drainage requiring redo/debridement. The other reasons were laying open of fistula/seton placement (30%) and stoma formation (4%). Level of operating surgeon was Consultant (8%), Registrar/Core Trainee (64%) and missing data (28%). Conclusion Abscess is a frequently performed operation in Emergency General Surgery. Knowledge of anatomy with adequate incision ensuring good drainage of the abscess can prevent URTT for abscess, improving patient outcomes and cost benefits.