A Clinical Comparison of Laparoscopic versus Open Appendectomy for Complicated Appendicitis

PURPOSE: Although laparoscopic appendectomies (LAs) are performed universally, a controversy still exists whether the LA is an appropriate surgical approach to complicated appendicitis (CA). We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of laparoscopic versus open appendectomies for CA. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 60 consecutive patients who were diagnosed as having CA from July 2009 to January 2011. Outcomes such as operative time, time to soft diet, length of hospital stay, and postoperative complications were analyzed. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in operative time between the LA and the open appendectomy (OA) groups. Return to soft diet was faster in the LA group (2.1 +/- 1.2 vs. 3.5 +/- 1.5 days; P = 0.001). Length of hospital stay was shorter for the LA group (4.4 +/- 2.3 vs. 5.8 +/- 2.9 days; P = 0.045). The overall complication rates showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. In cases involving a periappendiceal abscess, the LA had a significantly higher incidence of intra-abdominal abscess (IAA) and postoperative ileus (PI; P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: The LA showed good results in terms of the time to soft diet, the length of hospital stay, and surgical site infection (SSI) whereas the overall complication rates were similar for the two groups. However, the LA was associated with significantly higher incidence of IAA and PI for the cases with a periappendiceal abscess. Therefore, when using a LA, the surgeon must take great care to minimize the incidence of IAA and PI if a periappendiceal abscess is present.

A Case of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Gallbladder after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Gallbladder carcinoma is the most common primary hepatobiliary carcinoma and the fifth most common malignancy of the GI tract. The most common type of gallbladder carcinoma is adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder is rarer and is responsible for up to 12.7% of gallbladder tumors. A 78-year-old man was incidentally suspected of having a gallbladder mass on an abdominal CT scan and underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Pathology results confirmed the mass as a squamous cell carcinoma. Here we report a case of keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of the gallbladder and review the literature.