Nine years of experience with laparoscopic appendectomy in children

We review the clinical report of 110 patients that were operated on by a laparoscopic appendectomy in our hospital since January 1992 until december 2000. In 66 patients the reason was an acute appendicitis, and recurrent abdominal pain in 44. The age of them was between 4 and 19 year old with a mean of 10.8; there were 44 males (39%) and 66 females (61%). The maximum weight was 70 kg and the minimum 15, with a mean of 41. In 23% of them vomiting was present in the postoperative period. The hospital stay was 2 or 3 days in 73% of the patients. In acute appendicitis patients 66.1% were with acute inflammation, in 29% complicated and 4.8% negative appendicitis. Of recurrent abdominal pain patients in 50% we found pathological alterations. Finally we had complications in 13% of cases. As conclusion we achieve a reduction in hospital stay, the patients and parents appreciate it, this approach allow a better exploration of abdominal cavity and in those patients with recurrent abdominal pain we obtained a clinical improve.