A Comparison of SSI Payments in Cases of Acute Appendicitis Treated Using Either Laparoscopic or Open Surgical Techniques

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Objective: In our study we aimed to compare open and laparoscopic appendectomy techniques in terms of the parameters affecting the cost, such as duration of hospitalization, antibiotic use and postoperative complications.Material and Methods: Patients with acute appendicitis who underwent surgery in a university hospital with the use of either the open or the laparoscopic operational techniques were compared retrospectively with regard to such parameters as age, sex, duration of hospitalization, antibiotic use and postoperative complications and a cost analysis was performed. Results: A group of 6 cases of acute appendicitis operated using the open technique was compared with a group of 6 cases of acute appendicitis treated using the laparoscopic technique. The average cost of the cases operated using the open technique was 676,0 TL, and that for the cases in which the laparoscopic technique was used was 753,0 TL. Whilst a financial loss was incurred for each of the 6 patients operated using the open technique, there were no financial losses in the laparoscopic technique group except for the one patient in who developed a non-regressing post-operative abdominal pain requiring advanced investigation. Conclusion: Although the groups are small, in terms of cost analysis, postoperative complications and duration of hospitalization, both open and laparoscopic techniques produced similar results. In this case the surgeon s medical decision, in suitable cases, to use the laparoscopic technique, for which the MAD payment is higher, will protect the management of the hospital and thus the responsible surgeon from possible financial losses.

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Acute appendicitis , laparoscopy , SSI , cost analysis

Kocatepe Medical Journal

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Kocatepe Medical Journal