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Prolonged length of stay and many readmissions after appendectomy

Lars Søndergaard Johansen1, Jørgen Mogens Thorup, Lars Rasmussen

  • 1Department of Paediatric Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Børnekirurgisk Afdeling C, Rigshospitalet, 2100 København Ø , Denmark. lj@dadlnet.dk

Danish Medical Bulletin
|July 5, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Appendicitis outcomes in Danish children are acceptable but nearly 20% experience unsatisfactory results, including reoperations and prolonged hospital stays, indicating a need for further study and improvement in pediatric appendectomy care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Gastroenterology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Appendicitis epidemiology is shifting, with an increasing proportion of complicated cases.
  • Nationwide outcomes of childhood appendectomy in Denmark have not been previously evaluated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the nationwide outcomes of childhood appendectomy in Denmark.
  • To identify rates of reoperation, readmittance, and prolonged hospital stay after pediatric appendectomy.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Danish National Patient Registry for all children treated for appendicitis.
  • Defined nonsatisfactory outcomes as reoperation, readmittance, or length of hospital stay (LOS) exceeding five days.

Main Results:

  • A total of 2,617 children underwent appendectomy; mortality was 0%.
  • 4.5% of patients required reoperation, and 18% had a prolonged LOS or readmittance, often due to wound infection or recovery issues.
  • Laparoscopic appendectomy showed a slightly shorter mean LOS (2.0 days) compared to open surgery (2.5 days).

Conclusions:

  • Danish appendectomy outcomes for children demonstrate acceptable reoperation and readmission rates, comparable to international benchmarks.
  • Despite acceptable metrics, approximately 20% of pediatric appendectomies result in nonsatisfactory outcomes, necessitating further research and practice improvements.
  • The study highlights the need for enhanced strategies to reduce complications and improve recovery following childhood appendectomy.
Abstract

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