Objective:

To summarize the nursing experience and management strategies in patients undergoing video-assisted retroperitoneal debridement (VARD) for severe acute pancreatitis complicated by infected peripancreatic necrosis, highlighting the importance of nursing care in improving patient outcomes.

Key Findings:

• Cohort comprised 30 males and 11 females with a mean age of 52.9 years.
• Mean operative time was 133.9 minutes with mean blood loss of 92.0 mL.
• 14.6% of patients required a second debridement; 2 patients underwent a third procedure.
• Postoperative intra-abdominal hemorrhage occurred in 2.4% of patients.
• No new-onset organ failure or mortality reported.
• Mean ICU stay was 10.1 days and mean hospital stay was 34.9 days.
• Low rates of nursing-sensitive complications, including no pressure injuries, with statistical significance where applicable.

Interpretation:

The implemented perioperative nursing protocol was feasible and associated with acceptable perioperative outcomes, suggesting that effective nursing care can enhance recovery in complex surgical cases.

Limitations:

• Retrospective design limits causal conclusions, as it does not allow for control over confounding variables.
• Uncontrolled case series may not generalize to broader populations, particularly in different healthcare settings.

Conclusion:

Future prospective, controlled studies are needed to validate these findings and explore the impact of nursing strategies on patient outcomes in similar surgical contexts.