One day, three theatres, 20 operations
We’ve broken our own record for the number of gallbladder, hernia and colorectal operations completed in a day. On Saturday 1 August, 20 patients who had experienced waits of up to 40 weeks were treated at our Elective Surgical Hub at King George Hospital. Our previous record was 19.
This high-volume day formed part of a focused effort over the coming months to help reduce our waiting lists. We previously held one on Saturday 18 July where 13 similar operations were completed across two theatres.
We’re targeting patients who have experienced the longest waits for operations including gallbladder removals, hernias, haemorrhoids and anal fissures. Around half of the 600 patients on our general surgery waiting list, who have experienced waits of up to 40 weeks for treatment, need these procedures.
This focused effort, carrying out around three high-volume days a month, aims to get as many of them as possible the care they need. Many will be able to go home the same day as their procedure.
Sandeep Kaul (pictured above with theatre colleagues, front row, centre), robotic surgeon and our colorectal lead, said:
We want to increase what is possible on the weekend using extra efficiency, patient selection and allocating longer theatre time.
These patients have experienced long waits as we focus on more urgent operations, and that’s not a good service for them. Some can end up in A&E in pain so the more we treat during these high-volume weekends, the better is it for them. It requires a certain skillset for everyone to come together to do more than usual, and it’s working as a team which makes it worthwhile. It’s good work and we enjoy it, even when I do get told off by my wife for working another Saturday!
We started running high-volume clinics and theatre sessions post-pandemic to help tackle our waiting lists. It’s when teams across our hospitals, including ward colleagues, theatre teams and admin staff work together to carry out higher than average numbers of consultations or operations. Grouping together similar, straightforward surgeries helps us achieve a quicker turnaround, allowing us to treat more patients.
Robotic surgery, where the surgeon sits at a computer console to control the robot, using small incisions, surgical instruments and a camera, giving more precision and a greater range of movement, have had a huge impact in helping to run these. Across these two high-volume days, we used a mix of robotic, laparoscopic, where the surgeon uses small incisions and a camera to complete the operation, and traditional open surgery, using a larger incision.
Joyce Hartzenberg, Clinical Group Director of Operations, Surgery, added:
Our high-volume, low complexity programme is transforming how we deliver planned surgery. Through careful planning, dedicated multidisciplinary teams and a relentless focus on productivity, we have treated 33 patients over two weekends, enabling them to receive their operations sooner while making the best possible use of our theatres. This approach is helping us reduce waiting times and is an important part of our wider elective recovery programme.