Laparoscopic appendectomy for perforated appendicitis: a comparison with open appendectomy

The role of laparoscopic appendectomy for perforated appendicitis remains controversial. This study aimed to compare laparoscopic and open appendectomy outcomes for children with perforated appendicitis.

Over a 36-month period, 111 children with perforated appendicitis were analyzed in a retrospective review. These children were treated with either laparoscopic (n = 59) or open appendectomy. The primary outcome measures were operative time, length of hospital stay, time to adequate oral intake, wound infection, intraabdominal abscess formation, and bowel obstruction.

The demographic data, presenting symptoms, preoperative laboratory values, and operative times (laparoscopic group, 61 +/- 3 min; open group, 57 +/- 3 were similar for the two groups (p = 0.3). The time to adequate oral intake was 104 +/- 7 h for the laparoscopic group and 127 +/- 12 h for the open group (p = 0.08). The hospitalization time was 189 +/- 14 h for the laparoscopic group, as compared with 210 +/- 15 h for the open group (p = 0.3). The wound infection rate was 6.8% for the laparoscopic group and 23% for the open group (p < 0.05). The wounds of another 29% of the patients were left open at the time of surgery. The postoperative intraabdominal abscess formation rate was 13.6% for the laparoscopic group and 15.4% for the open group. One patient in each group experienced bowel obstruction.

Laparoscopic appendectomy for the children with perforated appendicitis in this study was associated with a significant decrease in the rate of wound infection. Furthermore, on the average, the children who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy tolerated enteral feedings and were discharged from the hospital approximately 24 h earlier than those who had open appendectomy.