Table - Indications for procedure
As detailed in Table 3, 14% of patients in the first cycle of this project had endured post-operative bleeding compered to 7% of patients in the second cycle. However, the primary haemorrhage rate had dropped from 3% in the first cycle to complete absence (0%) in the second cycle. Secondary haemorrhage rates had also decreased between the two cycles from 11% to 7%. Post-operative infection rates were similar in both cycles. Antibiotics were given in 68% and 100% of post-operative complications in cycle one and two respectively, with 37% patients returning to theatres for examination under anaesthetic and arrest of haemorrhage in cycle one compared to only 5% in cycle two (Table 4). This need for further surgical exploration accounts for 50% of post-operative bleeds in cycle one, and 9% cycle two following our intervention.
Table 3 - Post-operative complications