Pediatric appendectomy outcomes at a community hospital compared to national outcomes.
- 1Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, 374 Stockholm St, Brooklyn, NY, 11237, USA. [email protected].
- 2Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, 374 Stockholm St, Brooklyn, NY, 11237, USA.
Abstract
Background
Pediatric appendicitis is a common surgical emergency seen in every hospital. In community hospitals lacking pediatric surgeons, general surgeons with various subspecialty training often manage these cases. We aimed to assess the safety and outcomes of pediatric appendectomies performed by general surgeons at our institution and compare them to national data.Methods
A retrospective review of 235 pediatric appendectomies performed over four years was conducted. Outcomes evaluated included patient demographics, length of stay, postoperative complications, and readmissions. Results were compared to three national studies examining pediatric versus general surgeon outcomes.Results
The mean age was 12.5 years (range 4-17); 85 were female and 151 were male. Mean hospital length of stay was 2.52 days. Complicated appendicitis occurred in 14.04%, with rates of perforated (10.68%), gangrenous (3.83%), and abscess-forming appendicitis (3.83%). There were 9 readmissions and 6 postoperative complications. Compared to national data, our rates of complications, readmissions, and length of stay were comparable or favorable.Conclusion
Pediatric appendectomy performed by general surgeons with diverse subspecialty training in a community hospital setting is safe, with outcomes comparable to national benchmarks. Avoiding patient transfer may reduce healthcare costs and optimize resource utilization.
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BibTeX
@article{johnson2026pediatric,
title = {{Pediatric appendectomy outcomes at a community hospital compared to national outcomes.}},
author = {Rollin William Johnson and Alexandria Hall and Kaleab Debebe and Oscar Herrera Rios and Paritosh Suman and Mohammad Gilani},
journal = {Langenbeck's archives of surgery},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1007/s00423-026-04167-3},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955388},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Pediatric appendectomy outcomes at a community hospital compared to national outcomes.
AU - Rollin William Johnson
AU - Alexandria Hall
AU - Kaleab Debebe
AU - Oscar Herrera Rios
AU - Paritosh Suman
AU - Mohammad Gilani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/01
JO - Langenbeck's archives of surgery
DO - 10.1007/s00423-026-04167-3
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955388
AB - Background Pediatric appendicitis is a common surgical emergency seen in every hospital. In community hospitals lacking pediatric surgeons, general surgeons with various subspecialty training often manage these cases. We aimed to assess the safety and outcomes of pediatric appendectomies performed by general surgeons at our institution and compare them to national data.Methods A retrospective review of 235 pediatric appendectomies performed over four years was conducted. Outcomes evaluated included patient demographics, length of stay, postoperative complications, and readmissions. Results were compared to three national studies examining pediatric versus general surgeon outcomes.Results The mean age was 12.5 years (range 4-17); 85 were female and 151 were male. Mean hospital length of stay was 2.52 days. Complicated appendicitis occurred in 14.04%, with rates of perforated (10.68%), gangrenous (3.83%), and abscess-forming appendicitis (3.83%). There were 9 readmissions and 6 postoperative complications. Compared to national data, our rates of complications, readmissions, and length of stay were comparable or favorable.Conclusion Pediatric appendectomy performed by general surgeons with diverse subspecialty training in a community hospital setting is safe, with outcomes comparable to national benchmarks. Avoiding patient transfer may reduce healthcare costs and optimize resource utilization.
SN - 1435-2443
SN - 1435-2451
ER -