Laparoscopic Versus Open Appendectomy For Acute Appendicitis

Background:Laparoscopic appendectomy and open appendectomy are two surgical procedures for acute appendicitis.Although laparoscopic appendectomy is widely practiced nowadays,there is still controversy about the advantages of laparoscopic versus open appendectomy.The aim of this study is to compare LA with OA to determine length of operation time,the length of hospital stay and postoperative morbidity.Methods:A retrospective study was carried out,from January 2016 to December 2016,involving 226 patients(lllmales and 115 females)with a diagnosis of suspected acute appendicitis.LA group consisted of 54 patients and OA group of 172 patients.The groups were compared by using Chi-square test for categorical variables and student t-test for continuous variables.Results:The mean operative time in LA was 61.52 minutes and in OA 39.61 minutes(p<0.001).In LA,the mean length of hospital stay was 2.69 days.In OA,the mean length of hospital stay was 4.03 days(p<0.001).The mean days patient resume to normal activity was 12 days in LA and 21 days in OA(p<0.001).In LA,8(14.8%)patients complained of moderate pain in postoperative period and 58(33.7%)patients complained of moderate pain in OA group(p<0.005),Postoperative wound infection was seen in 1 patient(1.8%)in LA group and 17 patients(9.8%)in OA group.Conclusions:Laparoscopic appendectomy is as safe and effective as open procedure with major benefits of less postoperative pain,hospital stay and early return to normal activities.However it takes more time for operation compared with open appendectomy.The infection rate of laparoscopic appendectomy is significantly reduced as compared to open appendectomy.