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Is the laparoscopic approach appropriate for pediatric subhepatic appendicitis?
Author(s) -
Aneiros Castro Belén,
Cano Novillo Indalecio,
García Vázquez Araceli,
Yuste García Pedro,
Ferrero Herrero Eduardo,
Gómez Fraile Andrés
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
asian journal of endoscopic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1758-5910
pISSN - 1758-5902
DOI - 10.1111/ases.12470
Subject(s) - medicine , appendix , surgery , incidence (geometry) , laparoscopy , general surgery , paleontology , physics , optics , biology
Subhepatic appendicitis in children is an unusual condition that can be challenging for the pediatric surgeons to treat. The aim of our study was to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic appendectomies based on the position of the appendix. Methods The data of 1736 patients who had undergone laparoscopic appendectomy in our tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed. We compared two groups: subhepatic location ( n = 56) and non‐subhepatic location ( n = 1680). A P ‐value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the demographic variables of the groups. More than half of the subhepatic appendicitises were gangrenous (44.6%) or perforated (16.1%), whereas most of the non‐subhepatic appendicitises were phlegmonous (56.9%). Extracorporeal ligation of the appendix was the preferred technique in both the subhepatic and non‐subhepatic groups (69.6% and 89.8%, respectively). The subhepatic group had a statistically significant higher incidence of technical difficulties (1.6%) and abdominal drain (18.6%) than the non‐subhepatic group, as well as a longer operative time and hospital stay. However, intraoperative and postoperative complications were similar in both groups. Conclusion Laparoscopic subhepatic appendectomy is safe and does not lead to increased complications. However, the technique is made difficult by the fact that the appendix is an atypical location, and the rate of complicated appendicitis is higher.