A PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVE STUDY OF OPEN VS LAPAROSCOPIC APPENDICECTOMY

Abstract

To compare laparoscopic and open method of performing appendicectomy with regard to several variables like symptoms at the time of presentation, method of surgery, complications, duration of antibiotic and analgesic treatment, commencement of oral feeds, hospital stay and recovery time.60 patients with appendicitis (acute and recurrent), admitted in the department of General Surgery, KIMS General Hospital from October 2020 to July 2021 were included in the study. The patients were above 10 years of age of both sexes and presented with signs and symptoms of appendicitis. In our study a total of 28 female (OA/LA: 18/10) and 32 male (OA/LA: 12/20) were included. The indication for surgery was pain in the right iliac fossa in 50 patients of our study. Remainder of the patients presented with periumbilical or right lumbar pain. In LA,we had a success rate of 100% as no cases were converted to open appendectomy. The mean operating time in our series was LA= 50.16 minutes and OA= 65.80 minutes (p=0.016). The average postoperative hospital stay was 6.6 days (LA) and 9.06 days (OA) (p=0.001). Total recovery time was 24.96 days in OAas compared to 13.93 days with LA.This study shows that in terms of patient comfort, complications and post-operative recovery, laparoscopic appendicectomy is superior to open appendicectomy (p=0.01) and we would recommend that laparoscopy be the procedure of choice in all patients with suspected appendicitis.