title: Short-term Outcome of Open Appendectomy in Southern Iran: A Single Center Experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the short-term outcome of open appendectomy, the rate of negative appendectomy as well as pathology reports after surgery in patients with suspected acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective cross-sectional study being performed in Nemazee hospital affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Science during a 2-year period between 2008 and 2010. The medical records of all consecutive patients who underwent open appendectomy in our center due to acute appendicitis were included in the study. The elective and laparoscopic appendectomies were excluded. The demographic information, clinical findings, laboratory investigations and the histopathological examination of the appendix were recorded and reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 337 patient including 137 (36.4%) females, and 240 (63.6%) males with the mean age of 16.26 ± 9.81 (range 3 to 76) years were stduied. Anorexia (64.7%) and fever (20.7%) were more prevalent symptoms. The mean duration between pain initiation and operation ranged from 0 to 14 days with mean 1.88 ± 1.63 days. Right lower quadrant (RLQ), periumbilical, epigastria, left lower quadrant (LLQ), and Right upper quadrant (RUQ), pain were manifest in 78.8%, 41.6%, 12.2%, 3.2%, and    1.3% of patients, respectively. Pathological evaluation of the appendix showed appendicitis in 70.4% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The higher rate of negative appendectomy accounts for wasteful tapping of medical resources and causing further complication in patients. Therefore it is essential to conduct more accurate studies to detect the root cause of the disease. This would help improve the management of appendicitis which is an emergency condition with high incidence.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Research Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Paydar
authors.affiliation: Trauma Research Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Parisa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Javidi Parsijani
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
authors.affiliation: Student Research Committee, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manafi
authors.affiliation: Trauma Research Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Fariborz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ghaffarpasand
authors.affiliation: Trauma Research Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Hamid Reza
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Abbasi
authors.affiliation: Trauma Research Center of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bolandparvaz
keywords: Acute appendicitis; Iran; Open appendectomy; Short-term outcome