Is it safe? Appendectomies at night at a low-volume center

Area of Science:

• Surgical outcomes
• Patient safety
• Healthcare management

Background:

• Literature suggests increased morbidity and mortality in nonemergency surgeries during nonregular duty hours at large institutions.
• Appendectomies are the most common nonemergency operations performed after regular duty hours.
• This study addresses the safety of performing appendectomies during non-normal duty hours at a low-volume facility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if performing appendectomies during non-normal duty hours at a low-volume institution increases patient risk.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of appendectomies performed outside of regular duty hours.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort review of 102 appendectomies for suspected appendicitis.
• Data collected over a 46-month period (July 2005 - May 2010).
• Analysis included total cases, gender, procedure type, operation times, and complications.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in complication rates between off-duty and normal duty hours.
• p = 0.619; Odds Ratio = 0.34722 (95% CI: 0.035-2.45).

Conclusions:

• Performing appendectomies after regular duty hours at this institution does not elevate the risk of mortality or morbidity.
• The findings suggest that appendectomies can be safely performed during non-normal duty hours at similar low-volume institutions.