Comparative Study of a Single-Incision Laparoscopic and a Conventional Laparoscopic Appendectomy for the Treatment of Acute Appendicitis in Children

Abstract

Appendicitis is the most common indication for urgent surgery in children. Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has further improved surgical outcomes. In this study we compared SILS and conventional in terms of peroperative difficulty and outcomes. A retrospective chart review was performed interesting all patients operated for acute appendicitis in the department of pediatric surgery Hedi Chaker hospital and department of surgery Habib Borguiba hospital between January 2006 and December 2016. Among the total of 181 patients, LA and SILS were performed respectively on 51 (28.2%) and 137 patients (71.8%). In 41.9% of patients of conventional LA it was a complicated appendicitis and in 29.8% of SILS group it was a complicated appendicitis (p=0.22). The mean operative time was 63.7 min for the conventional LA group and 71.79 min for the SILS group, it was not statistically significant (p=0.046). Conversion was made in 13.7% of patients in the conventional LA and in 5.8% in patients with SILS (p=0.14). The median length of hospital stay was for the conventional LA group 3.5 days and for SILS group 2.3 days (p=0.04). The current study found that SILS provided comparable surgical outcomes to conventional LA and did not result in increased postoperative complication rates.