AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY OF OUTCOME OF CASES OF UNCOMPLICATED ACUTE APPENDICITIS OPERATED WITHIN 12 HOURS VERSUS AFTER 12 HOURS OF PRESENTATION

Abstract

Objective Ÿ To minimize number of operations during the night. Ÿ To evaluate ill effects of delaying appendectomy in acute appendicitis. Study Design: Observational study Setting: Tertiary care hospital Patients: In this study we have taken 250 cases of uncomplicated acute appendicitis which got operated at our study setting. Out of these, 125 patients were operated within 12 hours of hospital presentation and the other 125 patients were operated after 12 hours of hospital presentation. Among 125 patients of early group 68 patients were operated with open appendectomy and 57 patients were operated with laparoscopic appendectomy. Similarly, in late group, 46 patients were operated with open method and 79 patients were operated with laparoscopic method. Results:These results suggest that there is no signicant difference between uncomplicated acute appendicitis operated within 12 hours or after 12 hours of hospitalisation when compared in terms of average duration of surgery, post-operative total leucocyte count, time to start feeding after surgery, hospital stay and complications. Conclusions: We can conclude that appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis can be delayed safely for more than 12 hours. Delayed appendectomy after hospitalisation for uncomplicated appendicitis does not increase the morbidity of the patient.