The effect of osteopathic manipulative treatment on length of stay in posterolateral postthoracotomy patients: A retrospective case note study

Abstract

Objective: This study retrospectively evaluated the effect of OMT on length of stay (LOS) in hospitalized posterolateral postthoracotomy patients. Methods: Inpatient medical records of patients who received posterolateral thoracotomies with lung resection between 1998 and 2011 were reviewed for demographic data, LOS, thoracotomy surgery data, consultation data excluding osteopathic manipulative medicine, discharge data, and osteopathic manipulative medicine consultation data. Results: Thirty-eight patients received posterolateral thoracotomies with lung resection; 23 patients received OMT and 15 did not. The mean (standard deviation) LOS was 11.0 (6.8) days (range, 5e29 days) for those who received OMT and 10.4 (5.5) days (range, 3e22 days) for those who did not (P ¼ .90). Five patients developed postoperative ileus, and all had received OMT. Patients receiving 2 surgical

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Surgical Care

“…Postoperative LOS was measured in a majority of the included studies. 18 – 20 , 23 , 25 , 26 The results from 2 articles suggest shorter LOS due to complementary surgical care with OMT. 18 , 19 Baltazar et al 18 found that general surgical patients given OMT (n = 17) had a significantly ( P = .006) shorter LOS compared to general surgical patients not receiving OMT (n = 38), of approximately 5 days in mean.…”

“…Postoperative bowel function as a measure of OMT effects was presented in 4 studies. 18 , 20 , 25 , 26 Among general surgical patients, Baltazar et al 18 found a significantly ( P = .035) shorter time to first postoperative flatus in the OMT provided group (n = 17) compared to the non-OMT provided group (n = 38) by approximately 1.5 days in mean, and no statistical differences between the groups in time for first postoperative bowel movement ( P = .43) or start of postoperative clear liquid diet ( P = .59). Post-thoracotomy, Fleming et al 20 found no difference in postoperative ileus incidence between the OMT group (n = 23) and the non-OMT group (n = 15).…”

“…18 , 20 , 25 , 26 Among general surgical patients, Baltazar et al 18 found a significantly ( P = .035) shorter time to first postoperative flatus in the OMT provided group (n = 17) compared to the non-OMT provided group (n = 38) by approximately 1.5 days in mean, and no statistical differences between the groups in time for first postoperative bowel movement ( P = .43) or start of postoperative clear liquid diet ( P = .59). Post-thoracotomy, Fleming et al 20 found no difference in postoperative ileus incidence between the OMT group (n = 23) and the non-OMT group (n = 15). Also, Probst et al 25 found no statistical differences in the first postoperative bowel movement ( P = .42), first postoperative flatus ( P = .26), or postoperative solid food intake ( P = .54) after major abdominal surgery between the OMT group (n = 10) and control group (n = 10).…”

“…Various forms of soft tissue techniques and so-called indirect techniques were used frequently throughout the reviewed studies, although a general feature concerning the treatment protocols was the combination of different forms of OMT. Notably, high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation was only specifically included in 2 studies, 20 , 23 one of which concerned only one patient. 20 …”

“…Notably, high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation was only specifically included in 2 studies, 20 , 23 one of which concerned only one patient. 20 …”