Abstract
PurposeIn general, an appendectomy is presumed to have a limited burden of disease. However, in current literature, reported complication rates vary. This study aims to provide additional insights in the incidence of post-appendectomy complications in children with acute appendicitis.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included children (0–17 years old) that underwent appendectomy at our tertiary referral centre for suspected acute appendicitis (January 2011–December 2018). Children referred to our centre, and those that underwent non-operative treatment were excluded. Post-appendectomy complications were recorded from electronic medical charts using predefined definitions and classified as severe (Clavien-Dindo III–IV) or less severe (Clavien-Dindo I–II).ResultsA total of 131 children were included. Simple and complex appendicitis was diagnosed in 66 (50%) and 60 (46%) children, respectively. A non-inflamed appendix was seen in five (4%) children. One or more complications were identified in 33 (25%) patients. Eight (12%) children with simple appendicitis developed a complication, three of these were severe. In children with complex appendicitis, 23 (38%) children developed a complication, 14 of these were severe.ConclusionThis study shows a high rate of complications compared with current literature, both in children with simple and complex appendicitis. This is probably the result of our definition of complications and being a tertiary referral centre receiving more severe appendicitis cases. However, these results still show that appendectomy is not always a routine procedure with only few complications. Substantiating the need to keep optimizing treatment for children with appendicitis.
Highlights
Acute appendicitis is a common gastrointestinal disease in children
1137 patients were excluded from our cohort because they were not treated for suspected acute appendicitis
72 patients with suspected acute appendicitis were excluded because they were referred to our hospital and 46 patients were excluded because they underwent appendectomy at another centre due to limited capacity at our tertiary centre
Summary
Acute appendicitis is a common gastrointestinal disease in children. One in every 13 people will be afflicted by appendicitis at some point in their life, and in around one-third of all people, this will be during childhood or adolescence [1]. The classification of acute appendicitis into two types has become well established: simple. The reported complication rates range from 5 up to 15% of all paediatric cases, and even 29% in the subgroup of children with complex appendicitis [4, 7,8,9]. The interest for non-operative treatment of simple appendicitis, with antibiotics, as an alternative for appendectomy is increasing. The purpose of this study is to provide additional insights in the incidence of post-appendectomy complications in order to substantiate the need to improve treatment for children with appendicitis
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
