Risk factors for surgical difficulty in interval appendectomy for perforated appendicitis with abscess in children.

Purpose: To predict surgical difficulty during interval appendectomy for perforated appendicitis with abscess.

Methods: The records of children diagnosed with appendiceal abscess who underwent interval appendectomy from 2012 to 2024 were reviewed. The clinical data associated with difficult surgeries (operative time > 2 h or addition of trocars) and uncomplicated surgeries were compared.

Results: Among the 61 children who underwent interval appendectomy, 42 had uncomplicated surgery, whereas 19 children had difficult surgery. Children who underwent difficult surgery were older (11.5 ± 3 vs. 8.8 ± 3 years, p = 0.001), taller (p = 0.009), and weighed more (p = 0.011) compared to those who had uncomplicated surgery. In addition, difficult surgery was associated with larger abscesses (p = 0.003) and longer initial hospital stay (p = 0.046). Multivariate analysis identified older age (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.08-1.8; p = 0.017), longer abscess diameter (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 0.96-2.02; p = 0.097), and longer initial hospital stay (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1-1.07; p = 0.097) as possible risk factors for difficult surgery. According to ROC analysis, the cut-off values of age, abscess diameter, and length of hospital stay for predicting complicated appendectomy were 10.4 years, 5.8 cm, and 16.5 days, respectively.

Conclusion: Older age, larger abscesses, and longer hospital stay for non-operative treatment may contribute to increased surgical difficulty during interval appendectomy.