Laparoscopic appendectomy : one year experience in Qatar

Abstract EN

laparoscopic appendectomy was introduced at Hamad General Hospital in late December 1995.

Of 101 cases with a provisional diagnosis of acute appendicitis admitted to the hospital between January 1996 and December 1996, 90 patients had a gross appearance of acute appendicitis.

Eighty eight of these were managed by laparoscopic appendectomy, two were converted to open appendectomy and eleven patients had their diagnosis changed by laparoscopy.

The 88 cases treated by laparoscopic appendectomy had a mean age of 23.4 years (8-50 years).

The mean operative time was 54 minutes (25-140 mill) and the mean post-operative hospital stay was 2.98 days (2-15 days).

There was no mortality.

Complications, which occurred in only four patients, included wound seroina, intestinal obstruction, atelectasis and ventricular ectopic beats during CO, insufflation.