Patients’ perspectives on recovery from day surgery

Abstract: A large number of elective surgical patients in Sweden and elsewhere have their surgical procedure performed in a day surgery context. The surgical care event, with its postoperative surveillance, is brief at the surgery unit and patients are discharged home with the intention that they should manage postoperative recovery mainly themselves. However, several patients attest to being in an exposed situation when assuming responsibility for recovery at home. The overall aim of this thesis was to attain comprehensive knowledge of postoperative recovery following day surgery from a patient perspective.A questionnaire, the Post-discharge Surgical Recovery scale, was translated into Swedish and evaluated regarding its psychometric properties in a Swedish context. A sample of 607 day surgery patients who had undergone orthopaedic, general or gynaecological surgery self-rated their recovery at postoperative Days 1, 7 and 14 using the Post-discharge Surgical Recovery scale and the Quality of Recovery-23. Health-related quality of life was assessed before and 30 days after the surgical procedure, using the EQ-5D. In a second sample, 31 patients were interviewed in their homes regarding their recovery after day surgery. The interviews were conducted on postoperative Days 11-37, and focused on the meaning of recovery, self-care and perceptions of recovery. Data were explored by means of a phenomenographic analysis.The Post-discharge Surgical Recovery scale showed satisfactory psychometric properties when used among Swedish day surgery patients. Following discharge, recovery included both physical and emotional perspectives. Recovery varied, and influencing factors were found to be type of surgery, age, perceived health and emotional status on the first postoperative day. Orthopaedic patients had a more protracted recovery process compared to general surgery and gynaecological patients, along with more postoperative pain and lower health-related quality of life. Patients perceived that postoperative recovery comprised different internal and external factors and a large amount of responsibility regarding their recovery and surgical outcome. To be prepared for recovery at home, patients wanted knowledge and understanding about the normal range of recovery following their specific surgical procedure, and needed support from different sources in their surroundings.This thesis provides insight into day surgery patients’ postoperative situation. Based on the studies, individualized and well thought-out support appears favourable in order to have confident and well prepared patients at home. In contrast to smooth and easy patient care at the surgery unit, the postoperative phase seems to be a weak link in the day surgical continuity of patient care. Postoperative care needs to be further improved to increase quality and patients’ overall satisfaction with the day surgical experience. Attention should be paid to patients’ physical and emotional resources and needs.