title: Hospital experience, body image, and cosmesis after laparoscopic or open splenectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is becoming the "gold standard" technique for splenectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hospital experience, body image, and cosmesis after LS or open splenectomy (OS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who underwent LS or OS were invited to fill out questionnaires evaluating their hospital experience, body image, and cosmetic results. A total of 72 patients (34 LS and 38 OS) agreed to participate in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of age, sex, body mass index, or indication for splenectomy. Mean spleen weight and postoperative complications were slightly higher (P>0.05) and the postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer (P<0.05) in the OS group compared with the LS group. Scores from the modified Body Image, Hospital Experience, and Photo Series Questionnaires were higher (favorable) in the LS group compared with the OS group (P<0.01, P<0.001, and P<0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LS is the procedure of choice for most indications of splenectomy, which has comparable or better perioperative outcomes and complication rate as well as the advantages of better body image, cosmesis, and hospital experience compared with OS. Our results presenting improved outcomes with LS will contribute to the widespread application of laparoscopy for splenectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Manisa State Hospital, Manisa, Turkey. emre.canda@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Aras Emre
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Canda
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sucullu
authors.forename: Yucel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ozsoy
authors.forename: Ali Ilker
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Filiz
authors.forename: Yavuz
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurt
authors.forename: Sezai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demirbas
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Inan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult