Awareness of Appendectomy and Its Complications Among Saudis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is one of the most common surgical causes of acute abdominal pain in adults and children in the emergency department. It is treated by appendectomy by either an open or laparoscopic approach. Although laparoscopic appendectomy has been used for the last 35 years, there are still indications for an open approach in some cases. OBJECTIVES:  The aim of this study was to explore the awareness of the general population in Saudi Arabia of appendectomy according to the surgical approach. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using a questionnaire constructed by an expert based on Google Forms (Google, Mountain View, CA) was used from February to March 2022. Variables were demographical data, general knowledge, history of appendectomy, its surgical approach, and postoperative complications, if any. RESULTS: The study included 162 participants. The awareness level of acute appendicitis was high (72.2%). History of appendectomy was almost 30% and was significantly more common in males than females (p = 0.045). The rate of postoperative complications showed a significant difference between open (4.3%) vs. laparoscopic approaches (8%) (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Young, educated Saudis are aware of the importance of surgical intervention for acute appendicitis. However, further hospital-based studies are recommended concerning the role of the surgical approach and its various impacts on postoperative complications.