Laparoscopic Appendicectomy

Acute appendicitis is a common condition, accounting for substantial number of hospital days in all institutions and giving rise to considerable adverse economic and social consequences in the postoperative period. Laparoscopic appendicectomy offers several advantages over the open procedure. Diagnostic accuracy is improved. Postoperative morbidity, in particular wound infection, is reduced, as is postoperative pain, and cosmesis is improved. Discharge from hospital is hastened, as is return to normal activity and work. Surgical technique is detailed, including the approach to specific clinical scenarios such as perforated and retrocaecal appendicitis. The utilization of ultrasonically activated dissection for laparoscopic removal of the appendix is explained. The implications of laparoscopic appendicectomy for surgical training are discussed.