title: Laparoscopic appendectomy in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence suggests that laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has advantages over open appendectomy (OA) in the treatment of appendicitis. It remains, however, unclear whether LA is indicated in the elderly patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with primary International Classification of Diseases, revision 9, procedure codes for LA (n=32406 patients) and OA (n=112884 patients) were selected from the 1998, 1999, and 2000 Nationwide Inpatient Samples. The end points that were under investigation were the length of hospital stay, the rate of routine discharge, and in-hospital morbidity and mortality rates. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the risk-adjusted association between the surgery type and the patient outcomes. Stratified analyses were performed according to age (65 years and older; less than 65 years old) and to the presence of appendiceal perforation or abscess.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After risk adjustment, patients who underwent LA had a significantly shorter mean length of stay (LA, 2.45 days; OA, 3.71 days; P <. 0001), higher rate of routine discharge (odds ratio, 2.80; P <.0001), lower overall complication rate (odds ratio, 0.92; P=.03), and mortality rate (odds ratio, 0.23; P=.001) compared with OA patients. Similar benefits of LA were found in the strata of patients who were less than 65 years old, in elderly patients, and in patients with appendiceal perforation or abscess.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LA has statistically significant advantages over OA with respect to the length of hospital stay, the rate of routine discharge, and postoperative morbidity and mortality rates for patients who are less than 65 years old, in elderly patients, and in patients with appendiceal abscess or perforation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, the Center for Excellence in Surgical Outcomes, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Guller
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Eric D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Lawrence H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Muhlbaier
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eubanks
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pietrobon
mesh_terms: D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D049671:History, 18th Century; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007902:Length of Stay; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data