Unsupervised laparoscopic appendicectomy by surgical trainees is safe and time-effective

Area of Science:

• General Surgery
• Surgical Education

Background:

• Open appendicectomy is the standard treatment for appendicitis.
• Laparoscopic appendicectomy is often perceived as having higher complication risks and longer operative times.
• Concerns exist regarding the safety and efficacy of unsupervised laparoscopic appendicectomy performed by surgical trainees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and time-effectiveness of unsupervised laparoscopic appendicectomy performed by surgical trainees.
• To compare outcomes of laparoscopic versus open appendicectomy.
• To compare outcomes between trainee and consultant surgeon operators.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of medical records, operating theatre records, and histopathology reports.
• Analysis of 143 laparoscopic and 222 open appendicectomies over 15 months.
• Comparison of patient features, operative times, complications, readmissions, and mortality between groups.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in complication rates, readmissions, mortality, or length of stay between laparoscopic and open appendicectomy groups.
• Similar conversion rates from laparoscopic to open approach for trainees and consultants.
• Unsupervised senior surgical trainees' operative times for laparoscopic appendicectomy were comparable to trainee-performed open appendicectomy.

Conclusions:

• Unsupervised laparoscopic appendicectomy by surgical trainees is a safe procedure.
• Laparoscopic appendicectomy performed by unsupervised trainees is time-effective.
• The findings support laparoscopic appendicectomy as a valid alternative for surgical trainees.