Laparoscopic vs Open Appendectomy: Surgical Outcomes with Early Recovery and Length of Hospital Stay - A Comparative Study in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Objective: To compare the surgical outcomes in terms of recovery and complications of laparoscopic versusopen appendectomy in patients presenting to tertiary care hospitals in Rawalpindi.Study Design: Prospective comparative study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Department of Surgery at Combined MilitaryHospital (CMH) Rawalpindi, Pakistan from 1st July 2022 to 31st December 2022.Methods: Seventy patients with clinically and radiologically confirmed acute appendicitis were segregated bylottery method into two equal groups of 35 each. Patients undergoing open appendectomy (OA) were placed inGroup A, those planned for laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) were placed in Group B. Pre and postoperativeoutcomes, including Alvarado score, operating time, postoperative pain, and hospital stay documented andcompared between the groups.Results: A mean age of 28.40 ± 6.73 years in the open appendectomy group and 29.06 ± 9.84 years in thelaparoscopic appendectomy group was noted (P=0.745). The mean Alvarado score was 7.29 ± 0.95 in Group Aand 6.86 ± 1.16 in Group B (P=0.098). A statistically significant difference was noted in the mean operation timeof 67.29 ± 9.67 minutes for open appendectomy versus 38.77 ± 8.67 minutes for laparoscopic appendectomy (P< 0.05). The mean hospital stay was shorter for laparoscopic appendectomy, with 1.51 ± 0.61 days compared to2.00 ± 0.54 days for open appendectomy (P<0.001).Conclusion: Laparoscopic appendectomy offered intra- and post-operative advantages like less operating time,shorter hospital stays, and quicker resumption of normal activities.