Laparoscopic Appendectomy versus Open Surgery

Acute appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix caused by various factors and is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain presenting to the emergency department. Open appendectomy was first described by McBurney in 1894 using an incision method, and in 1983, Semm performed the first laparoscopic appendectomy. The aim of this study is to share the outcomes of patients who underwent open and laparoscopic appendectomy in our center.

Data from patients who underwent appendectomy between 2014 and 2023 at our center were retrospectively obtained from patient records and the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS). Sociodemographic characteristics, operation durations, hospital stay, complication rates, and pathology results of the patients were evaluated.

A total of 627 patients were operated on for acute appendicitis between 2014 and 2023, of which 298 (47.5%) underwent laparoscopic appendectomy and 329 (52.5%) underwent open appendectomy. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, operation duration, and final pathological results. However, hospital stay was significantly longer in the open appendectomy group (P = .001). Additionally, the complication rate was higher in the open appendectomy group, with a statistically significant difference (P = .046).

Laparoscopic appendectomy is supported in the literature by lower complication rates, shorter hospital stays, and shorter operation times. Although laparoscopic appendectomy is as safe as open appendectomy, it is thought to provide the surgeon with an advantage in assessing other potential acute intra-abdominal pathologies. Therefore, we recommend laparoscopic surgery for patients with a preoperative diagnosis of appendicitis.