Abstract
In order to compare the clinical outcome of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) to conventional open appendectomy (OA), we retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients who had undergone appendectomy from 2001 to 2009 at Sendai red cross hospital. Of them, 154 had undergone LA, in which 9 patient were converted to the open procedure after laparoscopy, and 86 OA. According to the degree of inflammation based on pathological examination, LA and OA groups were divided into three subgroups (catarrhal, phlegmonous, and gangrenous), and compared these groups for background factors and clinical findings. Gangrenous subgroups include complicated appendicitis with or without perforation, localized abscess, or disseminated peritonitis. There was no significant difference in the operation time. The incidence of complications in LA group was significant lower than that in OA group. In addition, the incidence of superficial surgical site infection in LA group was significant lower than that in OA group, especially in gangrenous cases. In gangrenous cases, for postoperative hospitalization and start of oral intake, significantly better results were seen in LA group than in OA group. Our findings indicate that LA is useful in treating acute appendicitis, especially complicated cases.
