Facilitating factors in same-day discharge after pediatric laparoscopic appendectomy

Appendicitis has been cited to be the most common abdominal disorder that requires acute care surgery in the pediatric population. Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols are multimodal perioperative care pathways designed to achieve early recovery after surgical procedures by maintaining preoperative organ function and reducing the profound stress response following surgery. Such pathways have been found to enhance quality of care for surgical patients as well as improve recovery and shorten hospital stays. The purpose of this study was to determine the key factors that facilitate same-day discharge (SDD) and early return to normal activities after laparoscopic appendectomies in children.

This is a single-center retrospective chart review of pediatric patients (<18 y old) who underwent appendectomies for acute appendicitis from January 2015 to April 2017. The patient population was divided into two groups: those with SDD and those who were discharged one or more days after surgery. SDD was defined as discharge less than 24 h of surgical admission. Patient factors, including prehospital, preoperative, perioperative, and postoperative factors, were compared and analyzed between the two groups and statistically evaluated using Fisher's exact test for categorical data and student t-test for continuous variables.

Two hundred forty eight patients were found under International Classification of Diseases-9 and International Classification of Diseases-10 codes for acute appendicitis. Of these, 63 were excluded due to perforated appendicitis, nonoperative management, interval appendectomies, or misdiagnosis. The remaining 185 had laparoscopic appendectomies; 59.5% (n = 110) were SDDs and 40.5% (n = 75) stayed more than one day. No significant difference was found for time between emergency room arrival and surgical admission (5.27 versus 5.4 h; P = 08.) but SDD patients had a significantly shorter time between surgical admission and operation (5.8 versus 11.4 h; P <0.001). SDD patients and non-SDD patients had no significant difference in rate of complications (0% versus 1.3%; P = 0.4). There was no significant difference in readmission rates between the two groups (2.7% versus 2.7%; P = 1). Total hospital charges, which indirectly reflect costs, were significantly less for SDD ($29,195 versus $33,703; P <0.001).

Surgical leadership can be effective in facilitating SDD without increasing readmission rates or complications and helps reduce hospital costs, decreases chances of nosocomial infection, and increases patient and family satisfaction.