title: Laparoscopic appendectomy for acute and recurrent appendicitis: retrospective analysis of a single-group 5-year experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Twenty years after the first report of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), its role in the treatment of appendicitis is still under debate. We report herein a retrospective analysis of our cases of LA in the last 5 years, during which we adopted a policy of an almost uniform laparoscopic approach on a rather selected population composed mainly of women with acute or recurrent lower quadrant abdominal pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laparoscopic appendectomy was performed on 33 male and 98 female patients. The mean age at operation was 25.7+/-11.4 years (range 11-59 years). Acute appendicitis with localized or diffuse peritonitis was present in 34 cases. In the remaining 97 patients, the operation was performed for acute or recurring symptoms of lower quadrant abdominal pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no conversions to open surgery. The operating time was 45+/-17 minutes (range 30-110 minutes). The pathology examination of the removed appendices showed acute appendicitis in 34 cases and chronic inflammation in the remaining 97 patients. In one case, histology revealed a coexisting mucinous carcinoid that extended to the perivisceral fat, and a completion right hemicolectomy was performed. Complications were minor in most cases. Reoperation for deep abdominal abscess or hematoma was required in three cases. The mean hospital stay was 2.59+/-1.58 days (range 24 hours-11 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our hands, LA has proven to be safe and effective. The laparoscopic operation has significant advantages in terms of lower invasiveness and better diagnostic capability. It is especially useful in women of child-bearing age, in whom it may be considered the procedure of choice.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Chirurgia Generale, Ospedale Bellaria, Bologna, Italy. Luciano.Fogli@ausl.bo.it
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fogli
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brulatti
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boschi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Domenico
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: Patrizio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patrizi
authors.forename: Francesco Domenico
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Capizzi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome