Comparison of outcomes and cost-effectiveness of laparoscopic and open appendectomies in public health services

ABSTRACT Acute appendicitis is the leading cause of abdominal emergency surgery worldwide and appendectomy continues to be the definitive treatment of choice. This cost-effectiveness analysis evaluates laparoscopic versus open appendectomies performed in public health services in the state of Bahia (Brazil). We conducted a retrospective observational study using the database from the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS). Available data on appendectomies between 2008 and 2019 were included, and we evaluated the temporal trend of hospital admissions, procedure-related mortality rates, length of stay, and costs. Statistical analysis was performed using the R-software (R Foundation, v.4.0.3) and the BioEstat software (IMDS, v. 5.3), considering p