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[Post-appendectomy intra-abdominal abscesses: six years' experience in a Pediatric Surgery Department]

A Coelho1, C Sousa1, A S Marinho1

  • 1Serviço de Cirurgia Pediátrica. Centro Materno Infantil do Norte. Centro Hospitalar do Porto EPE. Portugal.

Insights

Post-appendectomy intra-abdominal abscesses occurred in 1.79% of cases. Conservative management showed an 83.3% success rate, with only 4 patients requiring surgical re-intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Surgical Outcomes
  • Infectious Disease

Background:

  • Post-appendectomy intra-abdominal abscesses are a known complication, with reported incidences ranging from 6.7% to 28% for perforated appendicitis.
  • Understanding the incidence and effective treatment of these abscesses is crucial for pediatric surgical care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and characterize post-appendectomy intra-abdominal abscesses in a pediatric surgery department.
  • To determine the incidence of these abscesses.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of current treatment modalities.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of pediatric patients diagnosed with intra-abdominal abscess post-appendectomy (January 2010 - December 2015).
  • Data collected included initial surgical approach, appendicitis type, hospital stay, and treatment applied.
  • Review of clinical files for data extraction.

Main Results:

  • A total of 1,340 appendectomies were performed, with 24 intra-abdominal abscesses identified, resulting in an incidence of 1.79%.
  • The mean age of affected patients was 11.9 years; 52% were diagnosed during initial admission.
  • Conservative management was successful in 83.3% of cases, with only 4 patients requiring surgical re-intervention.

Conclusions:

  • The incidence of post-appendectomy intra-abdominal abscesses in this pediatric cohort is lower than reported in the literature.
  • Conservative management is highly effective for post-appendectomy intra-abdominal abscesses in children, minimizing the need for repeat surgery.
Abstract

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