TPTh 4.14 How Long Is Too Long? Time to Appendicectomy and Postoperative Complications: Exploring the Impact of In-Hospital Delay on Patient Safety
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ID: 324074
2026
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Abstract
Abstract Aims Acute appendicitis is one of the most common emergency general surgical presentations, with timely appendicectomy considered one of the indicators of patient safety. Delays to surgery allow for disease progression, thereby increasing the risk of perforation, sepsis and postoperative complications. This study aims to describe these delays to surgery and its relationship with postoperative complications and complicated appendicitis. Methods This is a retrospective observational study at a large district general hospital over 10-weeks including patients undergoing appendicectomy. Time taken from hospital admission to surgery and time from symptom onset to surgery were both recorded. Subsequently, outcomes including postoperative complications and complicated appendicitis (evidenced by intra-operative, post-operative or radiological findings), were noted. Results In total, 108 patients undergoing appendicectomy were included. Most patients underwent surgery within 24 hours of admission with postoperative complications occurring in 12.0%. However, a higher complication rate was observed with increasing admission to surgery time, rising from 10.9% in patients operated within 16 hours to 16.7% after 36 hours. Patients that underwent appendectomy 24 hours after admission had higher complication rates than those managed earlier. Additionally, delays prior to hospital presentation were common, with many patients symptomatic for several days before hospital admission. Conclusions There is an evident positive trend in postoperative complications with longer in-hospital time to appendicectomy. These highlight patient safety implications and although formal statistical analysis is required to determine the significance of this finding, the results suggest that delays to emergency surgery may represent a modifiable factor influencing outcomes in acute appendicitis.
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openalex_W7172502775
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| Authors | Santhana Venkatesan, Nisha Akella, Kumaran Thiruppathy |
| Journal | the british journal of surgery |
| Year | 2026 |
| DOI |
10.1093/bjs/znag087.466
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| URL | |
| Keywords | Keywords not found |
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