Minilaparoscopic appendectomy using a new spiral needle

Acute appendicitis is the most frequent abdominal disease and requires urgent surgery. At the present time, laparoscopic appendectomy is a well-accepted emergency procedure at most centers. In this study, we used a new spiral needle to facilitate the procedure, making it easy, minimally invasive, and cost effective.

The study included 70 patients of both sexes with acute appendicitis that was treated by laparoscopic appendectomy using a new spiral needle. These cases were treated at the General Surgery Department, Zagazig University, Egypt, from May 2012 to August 2013. In the procedure we used only two ports (a 10-mm port directly below the umbilicus for the camera and a 5-mm port at the left iliac fossa at the midclavicular line). The new spiral needle was used to hold the appendix during the procedure and was inserted into the right iliac fossa depending on the site of the appendix.

The mean age of the patients was 27.3 years, mean operative time was 40 min, and mean hospital stay was 1.3 days. Ten patients (14%) had minimal bleeding at the site of needle passage into the mesoappendix. Wound infection at the site of umbilical port occurred in four patients (5.7%) postoperatively.

Laparoscopic appendectomy using our new spiral needle is easy, minimally invasive, and cost effective.