Safety of laparoscopic appendectomy for the management of acute appendicitis during pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Laparoscopic appendectomy during pregnancy is widely accepted as a safe procedure in Korea, where the rate of laparoscopic surgery is high. Although the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons guideline currently mentions laparoscopic appendectomy as the treatment of choice for pregnant patients with appendicitis, some concerns arising from pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopic surgery exist in maternal postoperative and fetal outcomes. Further effort to provide firm evidence to clarify the safety of laparoscopic appendectomy during pregnancy is still needed.