laparoscopic Appendectomy in the Management of Acute Appendicitis A Comparative study

Abstract

Background and objective: Laparoscopic appendectomy has been recently considered a growing option in the management of acute appendicitis despite the debate about its superiority over the traditional open appendectomy. This study aims to discover the advantages of laparoscopic appendectomy through a comparison between this approach and the open one.

Methods: 2076 patients operated for appendicitis at Almouassat University Hospital between 2011 and 2015 were studied retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1, patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy (250 patients), and group 2, those who underwent open appendectomy (1826 patients). Patients’ data included: Age, gender, duration of symptoms, preoperative white blood cell count, operation time, postoperative pain, duration of hospitalization, and postoperative complications. These variables were studied and compared between the two groups.  

Results: Laparoscopic appendectomy was associated with a less postoperative pain (P < 0.0001), a shorter postoperative hospital stay (P < 0.0001), and a lower rate of postoperative complications (P = 0.000709) compared with open appendectomy. Conversely, operative time was longer in the laparoscopic group compared with the open one (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion: Laparoscopic appendectomy represents an effective option in the management of appendicitis, this approach offers the advantages of a less postoperative pain, a shorter hospital stay, and a lower rate of postoperative complications compared with open appendectomy.