Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35072428›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgery2023

Oncological Safety and Potential Cost Savings of Routine vs Selective Histopathological Examination After Appendectomy: Results of the Multicenter, Prospective, Cross-Sectional FANCY Study.

Vivian P Bastiaenen, Joske de Jonge, Bartholomeus J G A Corten, Elise A J de Savornin Lohman, Anne C Kraima, Hilko A Swank, Jaap L P van Vliet, Gijs J D van Acker, Anna A W van Geloven, Klaas H In 't Hof and 9 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Vivian P BastiaenenDepartment of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Joske de JongeDepartment of Surgery, Tergooi Hospital, Hilversum, the Netherlands.
Bartholomeus J G A CortenDepartment of Surgery, Máxima Medical Center, Veldhoven, the Netherlands.
Elise A J de Savornin LohmanDepartment of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Anne C KraimaDepartment of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Hilko A SwankDepartment of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Jaap L P van VlietDepartment of Surgery, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, the Netherlands.
Gijs J D van AckerDepartment of Surgery, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, the Netherlands.
Anna A W van GelovenDepartment of Surgery, Tergooi Hospital, Hilversum, the Netherlands.
Klaas H In 't HofDepartment of Surgery, Flevo Hospital, Almere, the Netherlands.
Lianne KoensDepartment of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Philip R de ReuverDepartment of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Charles C van RossemDepartment of Surgery, Maasstad Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Gerrit D SlooterDepartment of Surgery, Máxima Medical Center, Veldhoven, the Netherlands.
Pieter J TanisDepartment of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Valeska TerpstraDepartment of Pathology, Haaglanden Medical Center, The Hague, the Netherlands; and.
Marcel G W DijkgraafDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Willem A BemelmanDepartment of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Dutch Snapshot Research Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the oncological safety and potential cost savings of selective histopathological examination after appendectomy.

backgroundThe necessity of routine histopathological examination after appendectomy has been questioned, but prospective studies investigating the safety of a selective policy are lacking.

methodsIn this multicenter, prospective, cross-sectional study, inspection and palpation of the (meso)appendix was performed by the surgeon in patients with suspected appendicitis. The surgeon's opinion on additional value of histopathological examination was reported before sending all specimens to the pathologist. Main outcomes were the number of hypothetically missed appendiceal neoplasms with clinical consequences benefiting the patient (upper limit two-sided 95% confidence interval below 3:1000 considered oncologically safe) and potential cost savings after selective histopathological examination.

resultsSeven thousand three hundred thirty-nine patients were included. After a selective policy, 4966/7339 (67.7%) specimens would have been refrained from histopathological examination. Appendiceal neoplasms with clinical consequences would have been missed in 22/4966 patients. In 5/22, residual disease was completely resected during additional surgery. Hence, an appendiceal neoplasm with clinical consequences benefiting the patient would have been missed in 1.01:1000 patients (upper limit 95% confidence interval 1.61:1000). In contrast, twice as many patients (10/22) would not have been exposed to potential harm due to re-resections without clear benefit, whereas consequences were neither beneficial nor harmful in the remaining seven. Estimated cost savings established by replacing routine for selective histopathological examination were €725,400 per 10,000 patients.

conclusionsSelective histopathological examination after appendectomy for suspected appendicitis is oncologically safe and will likely result in a reduction of pathologists' workload, less costs, and fewer re-resections without clear benefit.

Indexed as

Appendiceal NeoplasmsAppendicitisAppendixAppendectomyCost SavingsCross-Sectional StudiesHumansProspective StudiesRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID35072428
PMCPMC9891272

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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.