Delay to appendicectomy and associated morbidity: a retrospective review

This retrospective review was undertaken to determine if time between presentation and appendicectomy is a factor affecting morbidity and length of hospital stay for patients with proven appendicitis.

The notes of patients who underwent an appendicectomy at Wellington Public Hospital, New Zealand between June 2002 and February 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Delay from admission until surgery was noted. Other variables recorded were age, sex, operation type (laparoscopic or open), white cell count, pulse rate and temperature at admission, antibiotic usage, ancillary investigations (e.g. ultrasound), operative findings, length of admission and in-hospital complications.

A total of 480 appendicectomies were carried out. Four hundred and fifty-seven (95%) records were retrieved, and 436 (91%) included the required information and were analysed. Ninety-one (21%) resected appendices were pathologically normal, 275 (63%) were nonperforated, 61 (14%) were perforated and 9 (2%) had appendicular abscesses. The mean waiting time from admission to operation was 14.5 h (range, 1.6-99 h). There were 36 complications in 31 (7%) patients. The mean hospital stay was 74.4 h (range, 9.2-372 h). Three hundred and forty-five admitted patients had histologically proven appendicitis. Patients who waited 12-24 h for their surgery, when compared with those that waited less than 12 h, did not have a statistically significant difference in either perforation rates (P = 0.66) or abscess formation (P = 0.14). There was also no statistically significant difference in the postoperative length of hospital stay (P = 0.6) or complication rate (P = 0.92) in patients who waited >24 h for their surgery. Patients with appendicitis who waited for >24 h (n = 44) had more abscesses (P = 0.0001). There was also a statistically significant difference in the perforation rate (P = 0.0001), postoperative length of stay (P = 0.04) and overall complication rate (P = 0.01).

Time to surgery of up to 24 h does not lead to an increase in complicated appendicitis or morbidity. When the time exceeds 24 h, there is an increased rate of complicated appendicitis and morbidity, including complications that are not directly related to the appendicitis.