title: Fifty-five consecutive laparoscopic appendectomy procedures without conversion.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In patients with suspected appendicitis, laparoscopic appendectomy is gaining increasing acceptance primarily because it is associated with less postoperative pain and a shorter hospital stay. Experience with 55 consecutive laparoscopic appendectomies, performed without conversion by the same surgeon, is herein examined and analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 55 consecutive patients with suspected appendicitis who underwent laparoscopic exploration (from 2000 to 2002) were analyzed for demographic information, clinical findings, laboratory/computed tomography scan results, intraoperative diagnosis, clinicopathologic correlation, complications, incidental findings, and operative time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six males (47%) and 24 females (53%) underwent surgery. Mean age was 25.2 years (range, 6 years to 67 years). Computerized tomography scans obtained in 37 cases (74%) had a sensitivity of 86.7% and a specificity of 62.5%. Average length of stay was 2.3 days (median, 1 day). Average operating room time was 69 minutes (range, 40 to 173 minutes). Five patients experienced postoperative complications: 2 had intraperitoneal abscesses, 1 had urinary retention, and 2 had postoperative ileus. No operative conversions or postoperative wound infections occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy confirmed the clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis and allowed the safe, effective treatment of both complicated and uncomplicated appendicitis with minimal hospitalization, recovery and convalescent times, and zero open conversion and wound infections. Laparoscopic appendectomy is advocated as the procedure of choice for patients with clinically suspected appendicitis.
authors.affiliation: St. Mary's Hospital, Department of Surgery, Waterbury, Connecticut 06706, USA. Faustus@pol.net
authors.forename: J Alexander
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Palesty
authors.forename: Xiu-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Reuben C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rutland
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leighton
authors.forename: Stanley J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Dudrick
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benbrahim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome