Abstract
This study evaluated the safety and economic impact of discharging bariatric surgery patients on Postoperative day (POD) 1 compared to the institutional POD 2 discharge protocol. A retrospective review of 115 patients who underwent laparoscopic or robot-assisted sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) revealed no significant differences in complications or readmissions between the groups. Discharge on POD 1 demonstrated a cost difference of approximately $1571. Our findings support the safety, feasibility, and financial benefits of implementing POD 1 discharge as standard practice for bariatric patients in underserved urban populations.