title: Laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated acute appendicitis does not result in increased surgical complications.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Septic postoperative complications are debated in patients with complicated acute appendicitis treated with laparoscopic appendectomy (LA). The aim of this study was to investigate the results of LA in both complicated and uncomplicated cases of acute appendicitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January to December 2009, 94 patients with acute appendicitis underwent LA by the same surgeon using the three-port technique. Data were accumulated and compared between complicated and uncomplicated acute appendicitis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 94 patients (45 women and 49 men), 19 had complicated and 75 uncomplicated acute appendicitis. The group with complicated acute appendicitis, as compared to the uncomplicated group, was significantly older (55.7 ± 20.5 years vs. 41.0 ± 18.0 years), and had a significantly increased operation time (117.6 ± 45.5 minutes vs. 78.2 ± 39.4 minutes), longer length of hospital stay (9.0 ± 3.3 days vs. 5.2 ± 6.0 days) and higher conversion rate (21.1% vs. 2.7%). No increase in surgical complications was noted in patients with complicated acute appendicitis, as compared to those with uncomplicated acute appendicitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated no increase in surgical complications after LA in patients with complicated acute appendicitis when compared with those who had uncomplicated disease. Therefore, LA may be considered the first-choice treatment option for both uncomplicated and complicated acute appendicitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yueh-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Ching-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chia-I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Boon-Lee
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Hang-Tsung
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001062:Appendectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult