Risk and outcomes of 24-h delayed and weekend appendectomies

Abstract Background Time interval from hospital admission to operative intervention has been suggested as a crucial risk factor for a number of surgical procedures. In this study, we aim to compare postappendectomy outcomes for operations performed 24 h after admission or on the weekend to within 24 h and weekday operations, respectively. Material and methods A cross-sectional study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, 2004-2009. The study population included patients who underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Results A total of 265,972 records were identified, of which 221,745 (83.4%) patients had appendectomy on the same day of admission, whereas 16.6% had the procedure the following day. Next day operations were more likely to be associated with postoperative complications (OR = 1.26, 95% CI = [1.19-1.33], P 3 d was also more common for next day interventions ( P P  = 0.005). Teaching and urban hospitals were more likely to perform appendectomies on the day after admission ( P P versus $8744.57 ± 77.67, P Conclusions Appendectomies performed 1 d after admission or on the weekend are associated with disadvantageous outcomes. Demographic factors, in addition to hospital attributes, place certain subpopulations at higher risk of next day appendectomies.