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Routine same-day discharge after acute or interval appendectomy in children: a prospective study

Fuad Alkhoury1, Leopoldo Malvezzi, Colin G Knight

  • 1Department of Pediatric Surgery, Miami Children’s Hospital, Florida International University College of Medicine, Miami, FL 33155, USA.

Archives of Surgery (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)
|July 13, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Same-day discharge after pediatric laparoscopic appendectomy is safe and effective, with high parental satisfaction. This approach reduces hospital stay without increasing complications, supporting its routine use.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Surgical Outcomes
  • Patient Satisfaction

Background:

  • Laparoscopic appendectomy is a common pediatric surgical procedure.
  • The traditional approach involves overnight hospital admission post-surgery.
  • Optimizing patient discharge pathways can improve efficiency and patient experience.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the safety and efficacy of same-day discharge following pediatric laparoscopic appendectomy.
  • To assess parental satisfaction with same-day discharge compared to overnight admission.
  • To determine if same-day discharge impacts complication rates or readmissions.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary care children's hospital.
  • 207 children undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy were analyzed for same-day discharge versus overnight admission.
  • Key outcomes included operative details, length of stay, adverse events, and parental satisfaction.

Main Results:

  • 78.3% of children were discharged on the same day of surgery.
  • Complication rates, urgent postoperative visits, and readmission rates were similar between same-day discharge and overnight admission groups.
  • Same-day discharge significantly reduced postoperative length of stay (mean 5 hours vs. 16 hours).
  • Parental satisfaction was high, with 87% happy with same-day discharge.

Conclusions:

  • Routine same-day discharge after pediatric laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe and effective strategy.
  • The procedure is associated with high parental satisfaction and reduced length of hospital stay.
  • This pathway warrants consideration as the usual care for pediatric appendectomy patients.
Abstract

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