Appendicitis ; complications ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Intussusception ; complications

PURPOSE: In recent years, single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (SPLA) has been gaining in popularity and there have been many reports on the results of SPLA. The purpose of this study is to investigate feasibility, safety, and cosmetic satisfaction with SPLA in treatment of perforated appendicitis. METHODS: From September 2012 to March 2015, 227 patients underwent SPLA at Damsoyu hospital. The patients were divided into the simple and gangrenous appendicitis group (the S & G group) and the perforated appendicitis group (the P group). Operation time, hospital stay, drain insertion rate, surgical complication, and cosmetic satisfaction were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 227 patients consisted of 32 patients in the P group and 195 patients in the S & G group. There were no significant differences in the demographic data of the patients. The operation time and hospital stay were significantly longer in the P group (p=0.002 and p<0.0001, respectively). The rate of drain insertion was also higher in the P group (p=0.0002). However, no differences in postoperative complications (p=0.281) and cosmetic satisfaction (p=0.090) were observed between the two groups. CONCLUSION: SPLA for perforated appendicitis is a feasible, safe, and cosmetically acceptable procedure. However, longer operation time and hospital stay and higher drain insertion rate should be considered for patients undergoing SPLA for perforated appendicitis.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Humans ; Laparoscopy* ; Length of Stay ; Postoperative Complications

PURPOSE: Recently, single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has been studied for its being less invasive surgery and having cosmetic improvement. We investigated the application of SILS for an appendectomy (SILS-A) in cases of complicated appendicitis and compare it with a conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (C-LA). METHODS: This study involved a total of 40 patients who underwent C-LA or SILS-A in patients with complicated appendicitis; 25 patients received a C-LA, and the other 15 patients received a SILS-A. The clinical outcomes and cosmetic results were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The SILS-A procedures were performed successfully in patients with complicated appendicitis, but 6 patients who underwent SILS-A needed an additional port for dissection and drainage. Clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were similar in both study groups. The SILS-A group showed significantly higher numbers of pain control than the C-LA group, and the one port SLLS-A group showed significantly better cosmetic result than the C-LA group. CONCLUSION: SILS-A is technically feasible and safe in patients with complicated appendicitis. However, SILS-A has more postoperative pain than C-LA, and more active pain control should be considered for patients undergoing SILS-A.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Cosmetics ; Drainage ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Pain, Postoperative ; Postoperative Complications

BACKGROUND: It is controversial whether the delay of surgery for acute appendicitis by physician results in higher morbidity. Our present study explores this problem of physician delay on the postoperative outcome of patients with acute appendicitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Among 432 patients admitted for the presumptive diagnosis of acute appendicitis between Jan., 1995 and Dec., 1997, 358 patients with pathologically proven acute appendicits were analyzed. Physician delay from the hospital admission to the surgery was evaluated in relation to the stage of the disease at operation and postoperative outcome. RESULTS: Postoperative complications occurred signifficantly higher in advanced appendicitis group, than in simple appendicitis group. Postoperative oral consumption started significantly later and hospital days are significantly prolonged in those group. Both patient and physician delays significantly affect the stage of the disease. The finding that physician delay correlated with the stage, however, was denied by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: On the contrary to the patient delay, physician delay does not affect the stage of the acute appendicitis nor lead to increased incidence of postoperative complication. Physician delay to clarify the diagnosis is a reasonable strategy and it does not affect the outcome adversely.
Appendicitis* ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Incidence ; Multivariate Analysis ; Postoperative Complications

PURPOSE: With varied reports on the impact of time to appendectomy on clinical outcomes, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of preoperative in-hospital delay on the outcome for patients with acute appendicitis. METHODS: A retrospective review of 1,076 patients who had undergone an appendectomy between January 2010 and December 2013 was conducted. RESULTS: The outcomes of surgery and the pathologic findings were analyzed according to elapsed time. The overall elapsed time from onset of symptoms to surgery was positively associated with advanced pathology, increased number of complications, and prolonged hospital stay. In-hospital elapsed time was not associated with any advanced pathology (P = 0.52), increased number of postoperative complications (P = 0.14), or prolonged hospital stay (P = 0.24). However, the complication rate was increased when the in-hospital elapsed time exceeded 18 hours. CONCLUSION: Advanced pathology and postoperative complication rate were associated with overall elapsed time from symptom onset to surgery rather than in-hospital elapse time. Therefore, a short-term delay of an appendectomy should be acceptable.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Pathology ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies

Recent reports have demonstrated a negative association between appendectomy and ulcerative colitis. Many retrospective studies have shown that appendectomy appears to be protective against ulcerative colitis. Although the function of appendix is not known, all these studies have suggested that alterations in mucosal immune responses leading to appendicitis or resulting from appendectomy may negatively affect the pathogenic mechanisms of ulcerative colitis. Herein, we report a 45-year-old man who was diagnosed as severe ulcerative colitis 2 years ago. Colonoscopy revealed a feature of pancolitis. He has been treated with several courses of corticosteroids over 2 years. However, dosage of steroid was not tappered down because of the recurrence of symptoms. He was admitted with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis, and underwent appendectomy. Two months after the appendectomy, clinical symptoms and colonoscopic findings improved gradually. Two years after the appendectomy, the patient improved without the recurrences of symptoms, and is stably treated with sulfasalazine alone.
*Appendectomy ; Appendicitis/complications/*surgery ; Colitis, Ulcerative/complications/*physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the feasibility of a laparoscopic approach in children with generalized peritonitis secondary to perforated appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy with drainage for generalized peritonitis secondary to perforated appendicitis at our hospital between September 2001 and April 2012. Laparoscopic outcomes were compared with outcomes of an open method for perforated appendicitis. RESULTS: Ninety-nine patients underwent laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) for generalized peritonitis from perforated appendicitis, and 87 patients underwent open appendectomy (OA) for perforated appendicitis. Wound infection was more common in the OA group (12.6%) than in the LA group (4.0%; p=0.032). The incidence of intestinal obstruction during long-term follow-up was significantly higher in the OA group (4.6% vs. 0.0% in the LA group; p=0.046). LA was possible in most patients for whom LA was attempted, with a conversion rate of 10.8%. Conversion to OA was affected by the preoperative duration of symptoms and the occurrence of intraoperative complications. CONCLUSION: LA is feasible for use in children with generalized peritonitis from perforated appendicitis, with reasonable open conversion and perioperative complication rates comparable to those of the OA group.
Appendicitis/*complications/*etiology/*surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy/*methods ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: The appendectomy is the most common emergent surgical procedure in elderly patients. The increasing number of elderly persons has been accompanied by an increase in the number of cases of acute appendicitis in the elderly. In order to understand the clinical significance of a laparoscopic appendectomy for elderly patients with appendicitis, we investigated the results of a laparoscopic appendectomy for treating patients over 60 years of age with appendicitis and compared them with the results for an open technique. METHODS: We studied retrospectively patients over 60 years of age who underwent an appendectomy with either a laparoscopic (LA) or open (OA) technique for appendicitis between July 2007 and December 2009. There were 30 patients in the LA group and 47 patients in the OA group. The demographic data, operative time, length of the hospital stay, bowel movement, pain control, cost, complications and pre-existing disease were assessed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the LA and the OA groups with respect to pre-existing diseases, gender, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score and the number of cases of complicated appendicitis, operative time, length of hospital stay, and times of analgesics use. However, the proportion of early gas out (within POD #2) was significantly greater in the LA group (80% vs. 57%, P < 0.05), and postoperative complications were significantly lower in the LA group (7% vs. 32%, P < 0.01). The costs for the two groups were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe and effective procedure in elderly patients and is not associated with any increase in morbidity. It can be recommended for routine use in treating elderly patients with appendicitis.
Aged ; Analgesics ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis ; Cost Control ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies

Common complications of Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) that lead to surgical intervention include intussusception, perforation, necrosis, and massive gastrointestinal bleeding. Acute appendicitis is rarely seen as a complication of HSP. A sevenyear-old boy was admitted for arthralgia, abdominal pain, hematochezia, melena, and purpuric rash on the lower extremities. On admission day abdominal ultrasonography was normal, but on day 5, he became pyrexial and developed right iliac fossa pain and tenderness with guarding. Ultrasonography showed distended appendix surrounded by hyperechoic inflamed fat. On exploration an acutely inflamed, necrotic appendix was removed and grossly there was an appendiceal perforation in the appendiceal tip. Microscopically some of the small blood vessels in the submucosa showed fibrinoid necrosis with neutrophilic infiltrations. The authors report the case of a child who developed acute perforative appendicitis requiring appendectomy while on treatment for HSP.
Appendicitis/*diagnosis/*etiology ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Male ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch/*complications/*diagnosis

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has become a gold standard for children even in complicated appendicitis. The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative surgical site infection rates between laparoscopic and open appendectomy (OA) group in pediatric complicated appendicitis. METHODS: A total of 1,158 pediatric patients (age < or =15 years) underwent operation for appendicitis over a period of 8 years. Among these patients, 274 patients (23.7%) were diagnosed with complicated appendicitis by radiologic, operative and pathologic findings, and their clinical outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 274 patients with complicated appendicitis, 108 patients underwent LA and 166 patients underwent OA. Patients in the LA group returned to oral intake earlier (1.9 days vs. 2.7 days; p<0.01) and had a shorter hospital stay (5.0 days vs. 6.3 days; p<0.01). However, rate of postoperative intra-abdominal infection (organ/space surgical site infection) was higher in the LA group (LA 15/108 [13.9%] vs. OA 12/166 [7.2%]; p<0.01). Readmission rate was also higher in the LA group (LA 9/108 [8.3%] vs. OA 3/166 [1.8%]; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The minimally invasive laparoscopic technique has more advantages compared to the open procedure in terms of hospital stay and early recovery. However, intra-abdominal infection and readmission rates were higher in the laparoscopy group. Further studies should be performed to evaluate high rate of organ/space surgical infection rate of laparoscopic procedure in pediatric complicated appendicitis.
Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Child ; Humans ; Intraabdominal Infections ; Laparoscopy* ; Length of Stay ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies