Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
Laparoscopic Left Hemihepatectomy Combined with Caudate Lobe Resection
Published on: April 11, 2025
Midterm outcome of transumbilically laparoscopic-assisted versus laparoscopic and open appendectomy in children--a
Robert Bergholz1, Ines Klein1, Katharina Wenke1
1Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Background:
Prospective data of transumbilically laparoscopic-assisted appendectomies (TULAA) is absent in the pediatric population. We therefore compared the midterm outcome of TULAA with open (OA) and laparoscopic (LA) appendectomies in children with appendicitis in a matched prospective study.
Methods:
A total of 20 patients operated with TULAA were matched to 20 cases operated by LA and OA, respectively, according to sex, age, and histology of the resected appendix. All 60 children were evaluated during a 3-month follow-up visit.
Results:
The subjective pain level after discharge, the rate of complications, and persistent painful wound as well as the duration of days refraining from school or kindergarten were similar in all three groups. The wound satisfaction was significantly higher in TULAA and LA. Children operated with TULAA had a faster return to full physical activity compared with OA.
Conclusion:
Our data suggest that TULAA, LA, and OA have a similar outcome 3 months after surgery apart from cosmetic appearance of the wound and return to full physical activity in pediatric patients. Whether parental bias or the increased wound satisfaction act as confounders for early return to full physical activity should be evaluated in larger prospective randomized trials.
