title: Could laparoscopic appendectomy in pregnant women affect obstetric outcomes? A multicenter study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the perioperative and obstetric outcomes of pregnant women between laparoscopic surgery and open surgery and to evaluate the predictive factors for overall obstetric outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pregnant women who underwent appendectomy between January 2008 and June 2015 at six hospitals affiliated to Hallym University.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty patients were evaluated. Twenty-four underwent laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) and 56 underwent open appendectomy (OA). There were no significant differences in the patients' characteristics and gestational age at surgery between the two groups. Operation time, time to flatus, and time to soft food intake were similar in both groups. The length of stay was shorter in the LA group than in the OA group (5.1 vs 8.1 days, P = 0.044). Gestational age at delivery, birth weight, and delivery type were similar in both groups. There was no significant difference in overall obstetric poor outcome (20.8 vs 14.3 %, P = 0.516), including preterm delivery (8.3 vs 7.1 %, P = 1.000) and fetal loss (12.5 vs 7.1 %, P = 0.350). Multivariable analysis revealed that fever >38 °C (P = 0.022) and maternal age (P = 0.044) were independent predictors for the overall poor outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LA was associated with shorter length of stay compared with OA, but perioperative and obstetric outcomes were similar with both procedures. LA can be safely performed in pregnant women in any trimester.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 40, Sukwoo-Dong, Hwaseong-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 445-170, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwon Cheol
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 445 Gil-1-dong, Gangdong-gu, Seoul, 134-701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 40, Sukwoo-Dong, Hwaseong-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 445-170, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Pak
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 948-1, Daerim-1 Dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-950, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Yong
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Hallym Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 896 Pyeongchon-dong, Dongan-gu, Anyang, 431-070, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bong Hwa
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 948-1, Daerim-1 Dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-950, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Byung Chun
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, 40, Sukwoo-Dong, Hwaseong-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 445-170, Republic of Korea. kjw0153@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Jong Wan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001062:Appendectomy; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Acute appendicitis; Laparoscopic surgery; Pregnancy