RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To assess the results of the hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery of a surgery department during 2005-2006 using the diagnostic related groups. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The data were obtained from the CMBD-HA of the Catalan Health Service. We assessed the frequency, hospital stay and mortality of the surgical procedures. The results were compared with the 63 public hospitals, and the 8 of them belonging to the Catalan Health Institute. RESULTS: In our area, a clear trend is observed in referrals for certain types of complex procedures on the liver, pancreas and biliary system excluding cholecystectomy with or without associated morbidities (7-11%) without exceeding the population percentage (12%). In our centre, the impact on hospital stay is more evident in complex procedures. The total savings in our centre during the years 2005-2006 compared with the XHUP hospitals group were 2212 days of hospital stay with an equivalent cost saving of more than one million euro. The frequency and the results of hospital stay and mortality of laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy were those expected for the population covered by a general hospital. The mortality in complex procedures was half of that of the whole public network or the ICS centres. CONCLUSIONS: In the complex hepatobiliary-pancreatic pathology, the mortality, and cost savings in our centre appear to be the result of, not only the high volume of procedures, but also to specialisation and factors related to the structure of the department, and surgeon training.
