A population-based cohort examining factors affecting all-cause morbidity and cost after pediatric appendectomy: Does annual adult procedure volume matter?
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BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine factors affecting morbidity and cost after pediatric appendectomy and particularly the role of adult surgical volume. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was population-based study including all pediatric patients who underwent appendectomy for appendicitis in Canada (excluding Quebec) from 2008 to 2015. All-cause morbidity was the main outcome of interest. Cost of the index admission (in 2014 Canadian dollars) was a secondary outcome. Hierarchal linear and logistic regressions were used to model the outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 41,512 patients were identified. After adjustment, younger patients (OR = 0.98/year, 95%CI 0.97-0.99, p < 0.001), patients with comorbidities (OR = 2.20, 95%CI 1.96-2.46, p < 0.001), and those with perforated appendicitis (OR = 5.95, 95%CI 5.44-6.50, p < 0.001) were more susceptible to morbidity. Annual pediatric appendectomy volume was a significant predictor of reduced morbidity (OR = 0.85/20 cases, 95%CI 0.76-0.93, p < 0.001) as was the use of laparoscopy (OR = 0.81, 95%CI 0.72-0.91, p = 0.001). Conversely, annual adult appendectomy volume conferred no benefit nor did pediatric surgery specialty training. CONCLUSION: Outcomes after pediatric appendectomy are influenced by pediatric case volume, regardless of specialty training, but extra adult surgical volume confers no benefit.
