ArticleWorld journal of surgery2012
Laparoscopic appendectomy outcomes on the weekend and during the week are no different: a national study of 151,774 patients.
Article in World journal of surgery, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Outcomes following out-of-hours acute appendectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Langenbeck's archives of surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Same-day discharge after appendectomy for acute appendicitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International journal of colorectal disease · 2021Pooled it
- Weekend Surgical Care and Postoperative Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.Medical care · 2018Pooled it
- The "Weekday Effect"-Does It Impact Esophageal Cancer Surgery Outcomes?Journal of gastrointestinal cancer · 2023Article
- Techniques for mesoappendix transection and appendix resection: insights from the ESTES SnapAppy study.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2023Article
- Influence of Admission Time on Health Care Quality and Utilization in Patients with Stroke: Analysis for a Possible July Effect and Weekend Effect.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Impact of the acute care surgery model on resident operative experience in emergency general surgery.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie · 2021Article
- Operative timing is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing emergency general surgery: a multisite study of emergency general services in a single academic network.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie · 2020Article
- Weekend Surgical Admissions of Pediatric IBD Patients Have a Higher Risk of Complication in Hospitals Across the US.Inflammatory bowel diseases · 2020Article
- Weekend vs. weekday appendectomy for complicated appendicitis, effects on outcomes and operative approach.Pediatric surgery international · 2018Article
- No weekend effect on outcomes of severe acute pancreatitis in Japan: data from the diagnosis procedure combination database.Journal of gastroenterology · 2016Observational
- Effect of timing of cannulation on outcome for pediatric extracorporeal life support.Pediatric surgery international · 2016Article
- Article
- Quality improvement activities for surgical services at district hospitals in developing countries and perceived barriers to quality improvement: findings from Ghana and the scientific literature.World journal of surgery · 2013Article
- Weekend hospitalisations and post-operative complications following urgent surgery for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2013Article
- Review
- Operating room use for emergency general surgery cases: analysis of the Patterns of Complex Emergency General Surgery in Canada study.Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgieArticle
- The Impact of the "Weekend Effect" on Emergency Exploratory Laparotomy Surgeries Outcomes at an Urban Level 1 Trauma Center.Journal of emergencies, trauma, and shockArticle
- An Enhanced Recovery Protocol that Facilitates Same-day Discharge for Simple Laparoscopic Appendectomies.Pediatric quality & safetyArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe "weekend effect" is defined as increased morbidity and mortality for patients admitted on weekends compared with weekdays. It has been observed for several diseases, including myocardial infarction and renal insufficiency; however, it has not yet been investigated for laparoscopic appendectomy in acute appendicitis-one of the most prevalent surgical diagnoses.
methodsThe present study is based on the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 1999 to 2008. The following outcomes were compared between patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis admitted on weekdays versus weekends: severity of appendicitis, intraoperative and postoperative complications, conversion rate, in-hospital mortality, and length of hospital stay. Unadjusted and risk-adjusted generalized linear regression analyses were performed.
resultsOverall, 151,774 patients were included, mean age was 39.6 years, 52.6% (n = 79,801) were male, and 25.3% (n = 38,317) were admitted on weekends. After risk adjustment, the conversion rate was lower [odds ratio (OR): 0.94, p = 0.004, number needed to harm (NNH): 244], whereas pulmonary complications (OR: 1.12, p = 0.028, NNH: 649) and reoperations (OR: 1.21, p = 0.013, NNH: 1,028) were slightly higher on weekends than on weekdays. Overall postoperative complications (OR: 1.03, p = 0.24), mortality (OR: 1.37, p = 0.075) and length of hospital stay (mean on weekday: 2.00 days, weekends: 2.01 days, p = 0.29) were not statistically different.
conclusionsThe present investigation provides evidence that no clinically significant "weekend effect" for patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy exists. Therefore, hospital or staffing policy changes are not justified based on the findings from this large national study.
Indexed as
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.