Defining a Relationship Between Postoperative Antibiotic Use and Wound Complications in the Setting of an Uncomplicated Laparoscopic Appendectomy

Introduction: Appendicitis is a very common diagnosis that surgeons manage daily. Some surgeons are still giving antibiotics to patients suffering from uncomplicated appendicitis in the postoperative setting, despite an abundance of evidence to support a single preoperative dose of antibiotics. In this paper, we will describe the management of post-operative antibiotics at our institutions following uncomplicated appendicitis with regard to the use of antibiotics in the post-operative setting. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed analyzing post-operative antibiotic use and postoperative complications in 179 patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis. We retrospectively examined the patients to change our future practices as we perform appendectomies routinely, and there is practice variation at our centers. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for ‘laparoscopic appendectomy’ were used to identify the patients within our inclusion criteria. Twenty-four patients were excluded from the analysis as they had complicated appendicitis or met other exclusion criteria. We only studied the patient with uncomplicated appendicitis, as those with complicated appendicitis have a different clinical course that involves post-operative antibiotic administration or prolonged antibiotic administration with or without drain placement. Both arms of the study were homogeneous regarding patient characteristics. An independent test of the development of wound infection for those patients receiving post-operative antibiotics versus those not receiving post-operative antibiotics was conducted using the SPC XL 2010 Microsoft Excel (Redmond, USA) add-in. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. This included the odds ratio for the development of complications. Results: There was no difference in the risk of infection rate in patients given post-operative antibiotics; however, given the odds ratio of 6.53, there is an association between an increased wound infection rate and patients who received post-operative antibiotics. Discussion: An appendectomy is a standard surgical procedure for acute appendicitis. The guidelines for using pre-operative antibiotics in uncomplicated appendicitis are well established; however, there is no specific recommendation on whether to continue antibiotics post-operatively. However, there is significant provider variability on this topic. Antibiotic use post-operatively in clean-contaminated cases, such as uncomplicated acute appendicitis, has been associated with higher risks of surgical site infections. Conclusion: The use of antibiotics post-operatively may not be indicated for uncomplicated laparoscopic appendectomy and may increase wound infections. A large-scale study including a larger population and extending it to other hospitals may increase statistical significance and help guide physician management.