Bariatric Surgery Operating Room Time—Size Matters

The goal of this study was to document the relationship between BMI and the components of bariatric surgical operating room (OR) time.

The Stanford Translational Research Integrated Database Environment identified all patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures at Stanford University Medical Center between May 2008 and November 2013. The 434 patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1 (n = 213) BMI ≥35 to <45 kg/m², group 2 (n = 188) BMI ≥45.0 to <60 kg/m², and group 3 (n = 33) BMI ≥60 kg/m². The primary variable measured was total operating room time, defined as beginning when the patient entered the OR until the moment the patient physically left the OR. Secondary variables were anesthetic induction time, nursing preparation time, operation time, time for emergence from anesthesia, and total length of hospital stay.

Increasing BMI was associated with increased total OR time (group 1 = 202 min, group 2 = 215 min, group 3 = 235 min), mainly due to longer operation time (group 1 = 147 min, group 2 = 154 min, group 3 = 163 min). Anesthetic induction (group 1 = 17 min, group 2 = 18 min, group 3 = 23 min) and emergence times (group 1 = 12 min, group 2 = 12 min, group 3 = 22 min) were also significantly longer in the largest patients.

Operating room schedules and plans for resource utilization should recognize that the same bariatric procedure will require more time for patients with BMI >60 kg/m² than for smaller bariatric patients.