Staff Reporter
IT is possible, safe, and common practice to undergo surgery for a complex condition and be discharged the same day, just a few hours after the procedure, thanks to Outpatient Major Surgery (CMA) protocols.
Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital successfully implemented this management model years ago, and it is now standard practice across numerous procedures in various specialties, regardless of the type of anesthesia used.
“This model allows the patient to return home the same day of the operation, which doesn’t mean the surgery was simple. A thorough post-operative assessment determines if it’s safe for the patient to go home. If all parameters are optimal, the patient is discharged to return to their family environment,” explains Dr. Dieter Morales, an endocrine surgery specialist and member of the General Surgery and Digestive System unit, led by Dr. Enrique Aycart.
The hospital in Marbella has found that patients highly appreciate this model as it minimally disrupts their routine, allowing them to return to the comfort of their home early without compromising their safety.
Moreover, the results obtained with this approach emphasize improvements in patient quality of life, a reduction in complications such as hospital-acquired infections, and an optimisation of resources by increasing the availability of beds for other patients.
Recent technological advances in medicine, such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery, have facilitated the establishment and development of CMA protocols. Generally speaking, these procedures must meet certain medical and surgical criteria, including the duration of the intervention (no more than two hours), absence of drainage, patient age, and other factors. It’s worth noting that most of these surgeries are performed laparoscopically, leading to less trauma and, consequently, reduced postoperative pain.
According to Dr. Morales, one of the keys to the success of these surgeries is the expertise of the professionals involved. “When we talk about CMA, it’s important to highlight the training and commitment of the surgeons and the healthcare team involved in the procedure. This approach requires multidisciplinary teams with extensive experience,” he says.
A significant percentage of specialties in the service portfolio at Quirónsalud Marbella Hospital have integrated CMA into their routine practice, offering patients this option: angiography and vascular surgery, cardiology, general surgery and digestive system, oral and maxillofacial surgery, orthopedic surgery and traumatology, plastic surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology, and urology.
“In my specialty, general and digestive system surgery, we perform abdominal wall surgeries, proctology procedures, gallstone surgeries, and gastroesophageal reflux surgeries. Additionally, we are about to integrate endocrine surgery for thyroid and parathyroid procedures,” Dr. Morales adds.
Spanish Association of Outpatient Major Surgery
The current state of CMA, its successes, and future perspectives were some of the topics discussed at the 15th National Outpatient Major Surgery (CMA) Symposium of the Spanish Association of Outpatient Major Surgery (ASECMA), held this year in Vigo.
Numerous professionals from the fields of anesthesiology, surgery, and nursing from Spain and other European countries attended this medical event.
Dr. Dieter Morales made two notable presentations at this event. The first focused on an analysis of thyroid and parathyroid surgery without hospitalisation, and the second highlighted the importance of research and innovation for the progressive implementation of CMA in various specialties. Morales received the award for the best oral presentation in the management category for his contribution of over 30 years to ASECMA.
Quirónsalud in Andalucia
The Quirónsalud Group currently has seven hospitals in Andalusia, located in the cities of Málaga, Marbella, Los Barrios (Cádiz), two in Sevilla, Córdoba, and Huelva, in addition to 18 specialty and diagnostic centres and a surgical day hospital, making it the leading private hospital group in the region.
For more information, please visit www.quironsalud.com/marbella or call
+34 952 774 200
