The experience of transumbilical endoscopic appendectomies

Minimally invasive surgery is being widely accepted in various fields of surgery. Although several appendectomy techniques have been reported but, there is no standardization. We report here the experiences of transumbilical endoscopic appendectomy in humans. Between July 2008 and September 2010, ten patients with appendicitis successfully underwent transumbilical endoscopic appendectomies. There were 7 cases of suppurative, 2 cases of gangrenous and 1 case of perforated in operative findings. The ages of the patients were 13-56 years (mean age, 32.7 +/- 15.4 years). Under general anesthesia, a 15-mm port was inserted through the umbilicus and then a two-channel endoscope was inserted in the peritoneal cavity. After appendix identification, counter-traction of the appendix with a direct abdominal wall puncture using a straight round needle prolene was performed to achieve good visualization of the operative field. Tissue dissection was performed using an endoscopic needle knife. Tissue grasping and resected appendix retrieval were done with endoscopic forceps. The average operation time was 79.5 +/- 23.6 minutes (range, 45 to 110 minutes). No procedures were converted to laparoscopic or open appendectomy. Hospital stay was 4-6 days. All patients completely recovered without complications. As it is highly maneuverable, we believe transumbilical endoscopic appendectomy can be a feasible method. And, as surgeons want to proceed from laparoscopic surgery to natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, this procedure could be a triable method.

Abordaje transumbilical en pacientes pediátricos con diagnóstico de apendicitis aguda. una serie de 424 pacientes / Transumbilical approach in pediatric patients with suspected acute appendicitis. a series of 424 patients

Antecedentes: El tratamiento de la apendicitis aguda implica su extirpación; es frecuente la solicitud de cicatrices postquirúrgicas del mejor tamaño posible. Una de las estrategias disponibles es el abordaje transumbilical. Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas y los desenlaces operatorios de los pacientes pediátricos en quienes se realiza apendicectomía vía transumbilical. Metodología: Estudio prospectivo de 424 pacientes sucesivos en cuanto a los desenlaces operatorios a corto plazo. Resultados: El tiempo promedio de intervención quirúrgica fue de 22 minutos; 95.8% de los pacientes presentó evolución satisfactoria del postquirúrgico; 1.4% de los pacientes se reintervino para drenar un absceso intracavitario residual y 0.2% presentó infección de sitio operatorio sin más complicaciones. Conclusión: El abordaje transumbilical de la apendicitis es una alternativa mínimamente invasiva para todos los estados de apendicitis aguda e implica disminución del tiempo de realización, menor estancia del posquirúrgico, menor incidencia de complicaciones y mayor conformidad con los resultados estéticos.

Background: As the treatment of acute appendicitisinvolves excision it is common for the patient to ask for thesmallest possible postsurgical scar. One available strategy is the transumbilical approach. Objective: To describe theclinical characteristics and surgical outcomes of pediatricpatients scheduled for transumbilical appendectomies. Methodology: A prospective study of 424 consecutivepatients in terms of short-term operative outcomes. Results:The average surgery time was 22 minutes. 95.8% of patientshad satisfactory postoperative evolution. 1.4% underwentsurgery to drain a residual intracavitary abscess, and 0.2% had surgical site infection without other complications. Conclusion: The transumbilical approach for the treatmentof appendicitis is a minimally invasive alternative for all acuteappendicitis states and result in decreased surgical time,shorter postoperative stays, lower incidence ofcomplications, and greater conformity with the aesthetic results.