A PROSPECTIVE COMPARATIVESTUDY OF OPEN VERSUS LAPAROSCOPIC APPENDECTOMY: A SINGLE UNIT STUDY

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the most common general surgical emergency. Appendicectomy is the treatment of choice for acute appendicitis and the most commonly performed emergency abdominal operation. Open appendectomy is found safe and effective operation with low morbidity but found to be associated with post operative pain, wound infection and complications like intestinal obstruction which may delay recovery. Laparoscopic appendectomy emerged as a good option for treatment of appendicitis. The purpose of this study was to compare the laparoscopic versus open approach among patients with appendicitis in our centre. Materials And Methods: This study was a prospective study of 100 patients with clinically diagnosed as appendicitis admitted in the department of General Surgery, Unit II, Zoram Medical College for a period of two years during November 2019 to October 2021. They were divided into two groups - Open Appendectomy (OA) group and Laparoscopic Appendectomy (LA) group of 50 patients each. Age ranges from 10yrs to 75yrs. Exclusion criteria were pregnant female, chronic medical problems, haemodynamically unstable or psychiatric illness, cirrhosis, coagulation disorders, patients on steroid, immuno-compromised patients, patients on chemotherapy for malignancy and those who are not willing to participate. OA was performed through standard Mc Burney incision. LA was performed through a standard 3 ports technique. Results: The most common presentation of appendicitis is abdominal pain followed by nausea/vomiting and common in younger age group of 10-20 years. Laparoscopic Appendectomy was found as safe and effective as Open Appendectomy. LA has more acceptable cosmetic result, shorter hospital stay and less postoperative pain. The pain score was significantly reduced in LA group (3.2+-1.4) and in OA (4.1+-1.8). Conclusion: LA was found as safe and effective as OA. LA has more acceptable cosmetic result, shorter hospital stay and less postoperative pain.