Laparoscopic Versus Open Appendectomy in Children - Comparative Study of 403 Cases

Abstract

Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has not achieved widespread acceptance among surgeons, open appendectomy (OA) being a simple and secure technique. We compared retrospectively 200 LAs and 203 OAs in children and adolescents (mean age = 10 years) from January 1, 1989, to March 31, 1993. The introduction of LA did not modify our operative indications. Laparoscopic investigations found 22 right lower quadrant peritoneal adhesion diseases (11 %), those lesions were totally unknown with OA. Operative complications are more frequent with LA (5% versus 1 % - p < 0.02): bleeding of the appendiculary artery or of an epigastric vessel, intestinal perforation and burn of the ileum are the most serious complications that we had. On the other hand, the postoperative complications mostly occur after OAs (10.8% versus 1.5% - p < 0.001): 11 wound abscesses, 8 intraperitoneal infections and 4 obstructions after OA and only 1 wound abscess and 2 intra peritoneal abscesses after LA.