Publication:

A comparison of length of hospital stay between open appendicectomy and laparoscopic appendicectomy: a large retrospective study

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a statistically significant difference in length of hospital stay for open vs. laparoscopic appendicectomy.

Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing emergency appendicectomy over a 24 month period at a large teaching hospital. Length of stay, measured in days, was defined as the period between admission date and date of discharge. LA converted to OA was classified as OA. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results A total of 648 patients underwent emergency appendicectomy during the study period. 117 (27.3%) were laparoscopic appendicectomies and 471 (72.7%) were open appendicectomies. The median length of stay was 3.0 days (IQR 3.0) and was not affected by modality of surgery (median (IQR) 3.0 (3.00) days vs. 3.0 (2.00) days in OA and LA respectively, P = 0.447). 7 patients underwent conversion from LA to OA and did not experience a significantly longer hospital stay (3.2 days, range 2-6 days).

Conclusions OA and LA are comparable with regards to length of hospital stay, a finding in line with similar studies. It is therefore up to the individual surgeon’s discretion as to which method to use, taking into account other important factors such as the surgeon’s ability to perform the procedure.