Outpatient surgery for acute uncomplicated appendicitis

Abstract

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is one of the main indications to abdominal surgery. When the appendicitis is not complicated, is possible to do an outpatient surgery. Objective: To describe postsurgical evolution of the patients who present uncomplicated acute appendicitis. Methods: A prospective study was carried out about the evolution of 100 patients with outpatient surgery for appendectomy by uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The study was performed in the Hospital Susana Lopez de Valencia (HSLV) of Popayán, Colombia. A telephone survey was conducted during the 24 hours after surgery, to determinate potential complications like pain, nausea, vomiting and oral intolerance. Clinical histories were reviewed to determinate in case the patient has re-entered because of a possible post operative complication during 30 next days after surgical intervention. Histopathological findings were also reported. Results: During postsurgical follow up, 58% of the patients did not present any kind of pain, 95% tolerated oral route, 97% did not have vomiting and 90% did not have nausea. 3% re-entered because of type 1 infection around the surgical area, 4% because of pain. We found a histopathological concordance with the acute appendicitis diagnostic in 94% of the cases. All patients reported to be satisfied with the given attention in the postsurgery. Conclusions: Patients undergo appendectomy by uncomplicated acute appendicitis treated outpatient, has an appropriate tolerance to oral route and pain control.