Laparoscopic appendectomy: have we found a better way?

Laparoscopic appendectomy is an attractive option for the surgical treatment of acute appendicitis. When performed by an experienced laparoscopist, the procedure can be accomplished with little variation in time from the standard open technique, provide a superior cosmetic result, shorter hospital stay and a significant reduction in postoperative pain and length of convalescence. In this study a comparison of 42 open appendectomies and 37 laparoscopic appendectomies was made in regard to age, sex, length of stay, cost of stay, and length of convalescence.