REVIEW OF 47 LAPAROSCOPIC APPENDECTOMIES

Study Objective. To assess the indications, technique, complications, and outcome of endoscopic appendectomies. Design. Retrospective study with a follow-up of 2 years. Setting. A gynecologic surgical center in Hamburg, Germany. Patients. Forty-seven women who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy. Interventions. Appendectomies were performed under general anesthesia with bipolar coagulation, loop-ligation, and transection. Measurements and Main Results. Forty-seven patients ha ve been followed for 2 years. Thirty laparoscopic appendectomies (LA) were incidental and 17 elective. The majority of LA were performed because of pain symptoms. More than 50% of the patients reported complete pain relief after LA. The average duration of surgery was 47 minutes. The average hospital stay was 66 hours. Use of analgesics was low; 19 women required no analgesia. A febrile reaction was registered in 6%. No wound infection occurred. Two serious complications were noted: one acute peritonitis after 4 days, and one stump abscess after 4 weeks. Both patients recovered uneventfully. Conclusions. Laparoscopic appendectomy is safe surgery if the described technique is followed. The complication rate is low, conversion rate is zero, and late results underline successful treatment of pain.