Outpatient appendectomy safe, effective for uncomplicated acute appendicitis
The study enrolled 300 patients aged >14 years with uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 149 underwent outpatient surgery (OPS), while 151 received inpatient surgery (IPS). Exclusion criteria encompassed factors such as pregnancy, neoplasms, inflammatory bowel disease, and high anesthetic risk.
Overall, 85.9% of patients in the OPS group were discharged without needing inpatient admission. The study identified certain factors that influenced whether patients needed to be admitted following outpatient surgery, including age >31 years, hypertension, anesthetic risk level II-III, previous abdominal surgery, postoperative pain rated higher than 6 on the Visual Analog Scale, and postoperative anxiety.
No significant differences were observed in terms of complications, readmissions, or reinterventions between the outpatient and inpatient groups.
Substantial cost savings associated with outpatient appendectomy. The study indicated that the outpatient approach saved €1,034.97 per patient.
Reference
Durán Muñoz-Cruzado V, Navarro Morales L, Pareja Ciuró F, et al. Safety, Efficacy, and Cost-effectiveness of Outpatient Surgery for Uncomplicated Acute Appendicitis. The PENDI-CSI Randomized Clinical Trial. Ann Surg. 2023;doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006083. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37641981.
