Comparison of Spinal Anaesthesia Vs General Anaesthesia in Patient Undergoing Appendectomy
Keywords:
Appendectomy; General anesthesia; Spinal anesthesia; Postoperative nausea and vomiting; Postoperative pain; Analgesia; Hospital stay; Postoperative recovery.Abstract
Background: Appendectomy is a common emergency surgical procedure, and the choice of anesthetic technique may influence early postoperative recovery. Evidence directly comparing spinal anesthesia (SA) and general anesthesia (GA) for appendectomy in Pakistan remains limited. Objective: To compare early postoperative outcomes among patients undergoing appendectomy under SA or GA. Methods: A comparative observational study was conducted from January to April 2025 at Mayo Hospital and Nawaz Sharif Social Security Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. Sixty-two patients undergoing appendectomy were enrolled through convenience sampling; 31 received SA and 31 received GA according to routine clinical practice. Outcomes included postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), time to first analgesic requirement, length of hospital stay, and oral diet initiation. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: PONV occurred in 6.5% of patients receiving SA compared with 38.7% receiving GA. Time to first analgesic requirement was longer with SA (5.03±1.43 vs 3.19±0.95 hours; p<0.001), while hospital stay was shorter (1.94±0.73 vs 2.77±0.72 days; p<0.001). Oral diet was initiated on postoperative day 1 in 83.9% of the SA group compared with 45.2% of the GA group (p=0.004). Postoperative pain severity progressively decreased over 24 hours in the overall cohort. Conclusion: SA was associated with less PONV, prolonged postoperative analgesia, shorter hospitalization, and earlier oral intake compared with GA and may represent a useful anesthetic option for appropriately selected patients undergoing appendectomy. Keywords: Appendectomy; General anesthesia; Spinal anesthesia; Postoperative nausea and vomiting; Postoperative pain; Analgesia; Hospital stay; Postoperative recovery.
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