• Jong Min Lee, Ji Young Jang, Seung Hwan Lee, Hongjin Shim, and Jae Gil Lee.
• Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
• Yonsei Med. J. 2014 Nov 1; 55 (6): 1606-10.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of short hospital stays after laparoscopic appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis.Materials And MethodsThe records of 142 patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis from January 2010 to December 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were allocated to an early (<48 hours) or a late (>48 hours) group by postoperative hospital stay. Postoperative complications and readmission rates in the two groups were evaluated and compared.ResultsOverall mean patient age was 50.1 (±16.0) years, and mean hospital stay was 3.8 (±2.8) days. Fifty-four patients (group E, 38.0%) were discharged within 48 hours of surgery, and 88 patients (group L, 62.0%) stayed more than 48 hours. Overall complication rates were similar in the two groups (14.8% vs. 21.6%, p=0.318), and wound complications (13.0% vs. 12.5%), postoperative bowel obstruction (1.9% vs. 2.3%), and abdominal pain (1.9% vs. 3.4%) were not significantly different.ConclusionPatients that undergo laparoscopic appendectomy due to uncomplicated appendicitis may be safely discharged within 48 hours. Further study should be conducted to determine the optimal length of hospital stay after laparoscopic appendectomy to reduce hospital costs.

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