Practice patterns and clinical outcomes in acute appendicitis differ in the elderly patient

Abstract

Background: Appendicitis is the most frequent global abdominal surgical emergency. An ageing population, who often exhibit atypical symptoms and delayed presentations, challenge conventional diagnostic and treatment paradigms.

Objectives: This study aims to delineate disparities in presentation, management, and outcomes between elderly patients and younger adults suffering from acute appendicitis.

Methods: This subgroup analysis forms part of ESTES SnapAppy, a time-bound multi-center prospective, observational cohort study. It includes patients aged 15 years and above who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy during a defined 90-day observational period across multiple centers. Statistical comparisons were performed using appropriate tests with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: The study cohort comprised 521 elderly patients (≥65 years) and 4,092 younger adults (18-64 years). Elderly patients presented later (mean duration of symptoms: 7.88 vs. 3.56 days; p < 0.001) and frequently required computed tomography (CT) scans for diagnosis (86.1% vs. 54.0%; p < 0.001). The incidence of complicated appendicitis was higher in the elderly (46.7% vs. 20.7%; p < 0.001). Delays in surgical intervention were notable in the elderly (85.0% operated within 24 h vs. 88.7%; p = 0.018), with longer operative times (71.1 vs. 60.3 min; p < 0.001). Postoperative complications were significantly higher in the elderly (27.9% vs. 12.9%; p < 0.001), including severe complications (6.9% vs. 2.4%; p < 0.001) and prolonged hospital stays (7.9 vs. 3.6 days; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Our findings highlight significant differences in the clinical course and outcomes of acute appendicitis in the elderly compared to younger patients, suggesting a need for age-adapted diagnostic pathways and treatment strategies to improve outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Keywords: Acute appendicitis; Complications; Diagnosis; Elderly; Observational cohort; Treatment outcomes.

Fig. 1

Statistically-significant differences (p < 0.005) in presenting symptoms, diagnosis metrics, AAST severity grade and operative metrics between elderly patients and those under the age of 65 years