Quality of Life and Pain After Appendectomy in Children

NCT07629362 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2026-55
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 231
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common emergency general surgical conditions worldwide and represents the leading cause of emergency abdominal surgery in children. In some cases, appendectomy may result in persistent or recurrent pain in the right iliac fossa, which may negatively affect quality of life, particularly in children. The primary aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of chronic pain at the third postoperative month in pediatric patients who underwent appendectomy. The age, sex, body mass index, and comorbidities of patients aged 8-18 years who underwent appendectomy will be recorded. Pain in children who met the inclusion criteria was assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). To evaluate the effects of pain on quality of life, the child and parent versions of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) were administered at the third postoperative month. In addition, the Functional Disability Inventory (FDI) was used at the third postoperative month to assess the impact of pain on the patient's functional status.

Conditions

Chronic Pain, Postoperative; Quality of Life; Functional Ability; Numerical Rating Scale; Appendectomy

Keywords

chronic pain; appendectomy; FDI; PedsQL

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Chronic Pain After Appendectomy

  The prevalence of chronic pain in pediatric patients who underwent appendectomy will be assessed at the third postoperative month using the Numeric Rating Scale NRS. NRS is a widely used measure that requires the patient to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10. A score of 0 indicates no pain, scores of 1-3 indicate mild pain, scores of 4-6 indicate moderate pain, and scores of 7 or higher indicate severe pain. The NRS can be used to describe pain intensity in children older than 8 years of age.

  At the third postoperative month

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Quality of Life at the Third Postoperative Month

  Patients will be evaluated at the third postoperative month for chronic pain, quality of life, and functional status. Follow-up assessments will be conducted via telephone interviews.

• Functional Disability After Appendectomy

  at the third postoperative month

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 8 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Pediatric patients who underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis at Kocaeli City Hospital will be recruited for this study.

You may qualify if:

• Children between the ages of 8-18 years who underwent appendectomy, who had ASA physical status I-II

You may not qualify if:

• Children who aged under 8 and over 18 years, who had American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status III or higher, who had a history of previous surgery in the right lower abdominal quadrant, who had psychiatric disorders, who had preoperative chronic abdominal pain

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Kocaeli City Hospital: lead

Study Sites (1)

Kocaeli City Hospital

Kocaeli, İzmit, 41000, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Rosenbloom BN, Frederiksen SD, Wang V, Birnie KA, Park CS, Gordon G, Rasic N, Stinson JN, Rabbitts JA. Prevalence of and recommendation for measuring chronic postsurgical pain in children: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2025 Feb 5;50(2):132-143. doi: 10.1136/rapm-2024-105697.

  PMID: 39909546 RESULT

• Palabiyik O, Demir G. Chronic Pain after Open Appendectomy and Its Effects on Quality of Life in Children Aged 8-18 Years. Pain Res Manag. 2021 Feb 22;2021:6643714. doi: 10.1155/2021/6643714. eCollection 2021.

  PMID: 33680224 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain, Postoperative; Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Postoperative Complications; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Ahmet Ergun, MD

  Kocaeli City Hospital

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Ahmet Ergun, MD

CONTACT

+90-262-225-2700; aergunndrum@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Target Duration: 3 Months
• Sponsor Type: OTHER GOV
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 12, 2026
• First Posted: June 5, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 25, 2027
• Last Updated: June 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)