Laparoscopic Versus Open Appendectomy for Complicated Appendicitis in Pediatric age group

Background: In the pediatric age range, the most prevalent abdominal ailment needing surgery is acute appendicitis. The lifetime risk of acquiring appendicitis is 1 in 14 (7%). Aim and objectives: To assess the intraoperative and postoperative Results of open and laparoscopic appendectomy for complicated appendicitis in pediatrics. Patients and methods: This was prospective research conducted on 40 pediatric patients with complicated appendicitis presented to emergency clinics of the Pediatric Surgery Department at Al-Azhar University. Results: No statistically substantial variation was observed between the two groups in terms of age and gender (p>0.05). No substantial variation was found between the two groups regarding ultrasound findings (p>0.05). Operative time was substantially greater in the laparoscopic appendectomy group compared to the open appendectomy group (p<0.001). In addition, The open appendectomy group saw a considerably greater rate of drain placement than the laparoscopic appendectomy group (p<0.001). Compared to the laparoscopic appendectomy group, the open appendectomy group saw a considerably greater rate of hospital stay recovery (p<0.001). Additionally, the group that underwent open appendectomy had a considerably longer hospital stay than the group that underwent laparoscopic appendectomy (p<0.001). In comparison to the laparoscopic appendectomy group, the open appendectomy group experienced substantially more wound infections and ileus (p=0.001 and p=0.022, respectively). Conclusion: We conclude that With modest and less severe postoperative consequences compared to open surgery, laparoscopic surgery has shown to be the preferred method for treating difficult appendicitis in younger children