title: [Evaluation of the aesthetic results perceived by patients after 3-port laparoscopic appendectomy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aesthetic result has lately been used in General Surgery as an argument for the development of new approaches. On numerous occasions attempts have been made to evaluate the perception that the patients themselves have after their operation by whatever approach, with the aim of finding where we differ and if there is a real option for improvement. The objective of this study was to analyse, using a simple questionnaire, the assessment of the aesthetic results as perceived by patients after appendectomy, and to attempt to determine what are the variables involved in an aspect so subjective as this.
  
  
  METHODS
  The variables collected were: age, sex, time since operation, infection of surgical wound, and presence of a drainage, as well as the responses on the aesthetic result of 70 patients who had a 3-port laparoscopic appendectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infection of the surgical wound, as well as the age of the patients and the time since the operation determined statistically significant differences in their opinions as regards the number, size and overall aesthetic result of the laparoscopic appendectomy. The median overall satisfaction of the aesthetic result was 9 on a scale from 0 to 10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment of the aesthetic result by patients after a 3-port laparoscopic appendectomy is good and is difficult to improve. It is recommended to prevent infection of the three ports after the intervention to obtain better results.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, El Palmar, Murcia, España. druizdeangulo@hotmail.com
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ruiz de Angulo
authors.forename: Luisa F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Martínez de Haro
authors.forename: M Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Munitiz
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Navas
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrisqueta
authors.forename: Pascual
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parrilla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000601:surgery*; D001504:Beauty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult