BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is the most common and frequent acute surgical inflammatory lesion of the abdominal cavity. AIM: To analyse the most common post-operative complications of patients submitted to appendectomies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using a research protocol, in patients submitted to appendectomies at Dr. Armando Lages´ Emergency Unit, between the period of July 2005 through July 2006. RESULTS: Complications occurred in 17% of a total of 107 appendectomized patients. Thirteen patients (54%) developed surgical infection wounds, followed by abdominal wall abscess in 12,5% and peritonitis in 8%. zero point nine percent of the patients had to be re-operated and 0,9% died. Of the appendectomized patients 5,6% were of preschool age, and of these, 33% developed complications. 10% of the complications occurred in patients of school age and adolescents and 20% occurred in young adults. Middle-aged adults and elderly patients, had 66% of complications. Of those who evolved in up to 24 hours of the disease, 17,2% had some sort of post-operative complication. Between 1 and 3 days, 15% and those with more than four days, 57,2%. CONCLUSIONS: Appendectomy complications were more frequent at extreme ages, when there was a delay in diagnosis and treatment, as well as in more advanced phases of acute appendicitis.
Appendicitis; Appendectomy; Postoperative complications
