Operative Delay in Adults with Appendicitis: Time is Money

• Published in: The Journal of surgical research 2020-09, Vol.253, p.232-237
• Main Authors: Aiken, Taylor, Barrett, James, Stahl, Christopher C., Schwartz, Patrick B., Udani, Shreyans, Acher, Alexandra W., Leverson, Glen, Abbott, Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Appendectomy; Hospital cost; Surgical delay
• ISSN: 0022-4804; 1095-8673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2020.03.038

Evidence suggests that operative delay of up to 24 h is not associated with adverse outcomes among patients undergoing emergent appendectomy. However, the fiscal implication of operative delay is not well described in adults. We sought to examine the effect of delayed appendectomy on clinical outcomes and hospital cost. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing nonelective laparoscopic appendectomy from 2014 to 2018 at both a tertiary care center and an affiliated short-stay hospital. Using a unique data set constructed from merged electronic health record and patient-level hospital financial data, patients with delayed surgery, defined as >12 h from emergency department (ED) arrival to operation, were compared with patients who underwent surgery within 12 h. Patient-specific variables were analyzed for their association with resource utilization, and subsequent multivariable linear regression was performed for total hospital cost. 1372 patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy during the study period. 938 patients (68.3%) underwent surgery within 12 h of ED arrival, and 434 patients (31.6%) underwent delayed surgery. Delayed cases had longer length of stay (44.6 ± 42.5 versus 34.5 ± 36.5 h, P