title: Hospitalization time after open appendectomy by three different surgical techniques.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The choice of surgical technique to approach the appendicular stump depends mostly on skill and personal preference of the surgeon or on the protocol used in the service, and the influence of this choice in hospitalization time is not evaluated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the relation between surgical technique and postoperative hospitalization time in patients presenting with acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of 180 patients who underwent open appendectomy. These where divided into three groups according to surgical technique: conventional appendectomy (simple ligation of the stump), tobacco pouch suture and Parker-Kerr suture. Data where crossed with hospitalization time (until three days, from four to six days and over seven days).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A hundred and eighty patients with age from 15 to 85 years where included. From these, 95 underwent conventional technique, had an average hospitalization time of 3,9 days and seven had complications (surgical site infection, seroma, suture dehiscence and evisceration). In 67 patients, tobacco pouch suture was chosen and had average hospitalization time of 3,7 days and two complications (infection and seroma). In 18 Parker-Kerr suture was made, with average hospitalization time of 2,6 days, with no complication. Contingency coefficient between the variables hospitalization time and technique was 0,255 and Cramér's V was 0,186.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was tendency to larger hospitalization time and larger number of complications in conventional appendectomy, whereas in patients where Parker-Kerr suture was performed, hospitalization time was significantly smaller.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Agláia Moreira Garcia
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ximenes
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando Salvo Torres
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Zailton Bezerra de
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Lima-Júnior
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cícero Faustino
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amanda Dantas Ferreira
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adalberto Vieira
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Dias-Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult