Impact of intraoperative fluid administration on length of postoperative hospital stay following orthognathic surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the volume of intraoperative fluids administered to patients during routine orthognathic surgery is associated with increased length of hospital stay for postoperative convalescence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study design was used to identify 168 patients undergoing routine orthognathic surgery at Mayo Clinic from 2010 through 2014. The primary predictor variable was total volume of intravenous fluids administered during orthognathic surgery. The primary outcome variable was the length of hospital stay in hours as measured from the completion of the procedure to patient dismissal from the hospital. Additional covariates were collected including patient demographic data, preoperative American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, type of intravenous fluid administered, complexity of surgical procedure, and duration of anesthesia.

RESULTS: On univariate analysis, total fluid was significantly associated with increased length of stay (odds ratio [OR], 1.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42 to 2.33; P < .001). After adjustment for surgical complexity and duration of anesthesia on multivariable regression analysis, the association of fluid level with length of hospital stay was no longer statistically significant (OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.22; P = .39). Duration of anesthesia remained the only covariate that was significantly associated with increased length of hospital stay in the multivariable regression model (OR, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.56 to 3.13; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS: Among surgical complexity, duration of anesthesia, and total volume of intraoperative intravenous fluids administered for routine orthognathic surgery, the duration of anesthesia has the strongest predictive value for patients requiring prolonged hospital stay for postoperative convalescence.