Evaluation of the Treatment of Acute Appendicitis in Our Hospital

Abstract

Before 2005, our treatment of acute appendicitis was conservative. We introduced laparoscopic appendectomies in 2006 and switched over to this approach except for catarrhal and abscess-forming appendicitis. We reviewed the medical records of 1,290 patients with acute appendicitis seen between 1997 and September 2010 and compared the postoperative hospital stay and complications among the medication only, transition to surgery, and surgery groups. This study compares the clinical outcomes of laparoscopic and open appendectomy. The shortest postoperative hospital stay was 6.9 days in the medication and laparoscopic appendectomy groups. The postoperative hospital stay was shorter and there were fewer complications with laparoscopic appendectomy than with open appendectomy. The laparoscopic appendectomy based on our criteria of treatment for acute appendicitis is effective. If there is severe inflammation, an interval appendectomy is a useful treatment.