Use of Spinal Anesthesia in Pediatric Laparoscopic Appendectomies: Case Series

BACKGROUND: Owing to the widespread use of general anesthesia, administration of spinal anesthesia in pediatric patients is not widely practiced. Yet there is ample positive evidence demonstrating its safety, effectiveness, and success. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to compare postoperative patient comfort, length of hospital stay, and cost-effectiveness of pediatric laparoscopic appendectomies performed under spinal and general anesthesia with the usual standard-of-care procedures employed in the hospital. METHODS: This is a case series of 77 consecutive pediatric laparoscopic appendectomies (involving 5-8–year-old children) that took place in a hospital in Chittagong, Bangladesh, in 2019. A total of 40 patients underwent spinal anesthesia and 37 patients underwent general anesthesia. Variables such as surgery and operation theater times, pain score, incidence of postsurgery vomiting, analgesic usage, discharge times, and hospital costs were recorded. Statistical analysis was used to analyze the data as a function of anesthesia type. RESULTS: The probability of vomiting when using spinal compared to general anesthesia was lower within the first 5 hours (P<.001) and 6 hours (P=.008) postoperation. A significant difference (P<.001) was observed between the total costs of the two procedures, with spinal anesthesia being less expensive. Patients were more likely to be discharged the same day of the procedure when spinal anesthesia was used (P=.008). CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anesthesia has many advantages compared to general anesthesia for pediatric laparoscopic appendectomies. Patient comfort is improved due to a significant decrease in vomiting. This allows for more rapid hospital discharges and substantial cost savings, without compromising the outcome of the procedure.