COMPARISON OF THE POSTSURGICAL OUTCOME OF EARLY EXPLORATION VERSUS CONSERVATIVE APPROACH FOR PATIENTS PRESENTING WITH APPENDICULAR LUMP AT ABBASI SHAHEED HOSPITAL, KARACHI
Beena Mussawir1 , Amsa Zafar2 , Rija M Salim3 , Rahil Mahmood Ur Rahman4
Abbasi Shaheed Hospital1,2,3,4
Submission Date: 24-11-2025, Acceptance Date: 01-01-2026, Publication Date: 22-01-2026
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE
To compare the postsurgical outcomes of early surgical exploration versus conservative management in patients presenting with an appendicular lump at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi.
METHODOLOGY
This comparative study was conducted at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, from July to October 2025. A total of 166 patients aged 20–60 years with sonologically confirmed appendicular lumps were enrolled through non-probability consecutive sampling. Patients were managed either by early surgical exploration or conservative treatment. Data were collected prospectively and analysed using SPSS version 26, with Chi-square tests applied; p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS
A total of 166 patients were included, with a mean age of 35.6 ± 10.2 years; 57.8% were male and 42.2% female. The early surgical group had a significantly shorter hospital stay (p = 0.001). No statistically significant differences were observed between groups for wound sepsis (p = 0.136) and wound dehiscence (p = 0.223), indicating similar safety profiles across both management approaches.
CONCLUSION
This study suggests that managing appendicular lumps through early surgical exploration can shorten hospital stays without increasing the risk of wound infections or wound dehiscence. Nevertheless, it is up to the overall health, symptoms, and imaging results of the patients to determine whether the surgical procedures should be performed or conservative treatment. Additional research is needed to develop tools that help identify which patients are most likely to benefit from each approach, ensuring safer, more personalized, and resource-conscious care.
KEYWORDS
Appendiceal mass, Appendectomy, Postoperative complications, Appendicitis, Length of stay