Feasibility of Day Care Laparoscopic Interval Appendicectomy

The primary aim of day-care surgery units is to allow for early recovery of the patients so that they can return to their home environment. While much has been done internationally, there is an immense opportunity for expansion in day-care surgery in India to ensure faster and safer, cost-effective patient turnover. Performing a successful and efficient day surgery not only includes appropriate patient selection but also their timely discharge.

Studies have proven laparoscopic appendicectomy to be a safe procedure associated with shorter hospital stay and decreased complication rates as compared to the open procedure. This is mostly due to improved post-operative course and reduced complication rate, especially from the wound site, which is a serious problem in this group of patients. The low rate of adverse events or complications during the intraoperative or immediate postoperative periods has further encouraged the acceptance of ambulatory surgeries.

Nowadays, improved surgical instruments, less invasive surgical techniques, a team approach in preparing a person for surgery and home recovery that involves both a surgeon and an anaesthesiologist, newer anaesthesiÄ… practice and newer anaesthesia drugs allow patients to recover faster after surgery and allows their timely discharge. Early discharge allows early return of patients to their normal lifestyle and also allows a greater institutional turnover of patients, benefiting the patients as well as the overall health care.