The American surgeon
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The American surgeon · Aug 2013
Laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis: a safe same-day surgery procedure?
Over 250,000 cases of appendicitis occur annually in the United States. The mainstay of treatment is surgical removal with admission. Recently, antibiotic therapy as an alternative has been introduced and the state of Maryland has incentivized 23-hour procedures. ⋯ Among these patients, there were no readmissions, and 18 (95%) were cases of simple appendicitis (P = 0.4431). There was no significant difference in complications or readmission between patients discharged in less than 24 hours and those who stayed longer. Our subgroup analysis indicated that discharge from the postanesthesia care unit after uncomplicated laparoscopic appendectomy should be further evaluated.