Multidisciplinary management in emergency surgery

This study examines the feasibility of a standardized protocol for managing frail patients over 65 who require urgent surgical treatment for acute abdominal conditions, with an emphasis on a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach. The research aims to evaluate how effectively a virtual MDT can convene to assess patient suitability for surgery and establish tailored care plans that optimize perioperative management. Utilizing the Physiologic and Operative Severity Score for the Study of Mortality and Morbidity (POSSUM) and the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) scoring system for surgical risk assessment, the study gathers data on preoperative and postoperative outcomes, including rates of postoperative complications, hospital mortality within 30 days, and length of hospital stays. The methodology will employ a prospective observational design carried out at the General and Emergency Surgery Unit of M. Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, Italy, with a focus on systematically recording patient demographic data and outcomes. The analysis will use both univariate and multivariate statistical methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual MDT model in enhancing surgical outcomes for frail patients. This research seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on optimizing surgical care pathways and the role of multidisciplinary collaboration in improving patient outcomes in urgent surgical contexts.