Laproscopic versus open appendectomy: A comparative study

Objective: to compare the results of open with laparoscopic appendectomy in terms of postoperative pain, rate of wound infection and hospital stay. methods: this quasi-experimental study was conducted in deprtment of surgery, ziauddin university hospital, karachi, over a period of six months. patients undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis were randomly assigned into one of the two groups (a or b) after obtaining written and informed consent. in group-a patients underwent open appendectomy and in group b laparoscopic appendectomy was performed. post operatively pain chart and wound infection was recorded and, at the time of discharge, number of days in hospital was calculated. result: sixty patients (38 male, 22 female), with clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis based on alvarado score of six and above, were included in the study. they were randomized into 2 groups of a and b with 30 patients in each group. group-a comprised open appendectomy procedure and group-b comprised laparoscopic appendectomy. mean comparison of postoperative pain by visual analogue scale, was significantly low in group b, compared with group a, on day 0, 1 and 2. number of days in hospital was 4.1±0.8 days in group a and 1.5±0.06 days in group b. none of the patients in group b, while 8 (26.67%) patients in-group a, developed postoperative wound infection at 1 week follow up. conclusion: laparoscopic appendectomy is safe and effective. wound infection and postoperative pain is significantly lower after this mode of surgery.