Single-port Laparoscopic Appendectomy versus Multiple-port Laparoscopic Appendectomy

Background. The aim of this study was to present the results of first-tried cases of single-port laparoscopic appendectomy by a single surgeon at one institution. Materials and Methods. There were 52 patients with non-complicated acute appendicitis who were enrolled in this study. Patients were allocated into two separate groups to receive either single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (SPLA) or multiple-port laparoscopic appendectomy (MPLA) from November 2018 to April 2019. We compared operation times, conversion rates, overall complications, length of hospital stay, total wound lengths, and visual analog score (VAS score) for both groups. We also examined the learning curve for the surgeons in this study. Results. The SPLA group was younger than the MPLA group (31.5 ± 15.56 vs. 43.17 ± 16.52, p = 0.0160). Other demographic characteristics were not significantly different between both groups. There was no significant difference in average operation time between the SPLA group and the MPLA group (50.2 ± 11.1 vs. 51.4 ± 12.2 minutes). Both total wound length and postoperative date 1 (POD 1) VAS score were significantly lower in the SPLA group than in the MPLA group. The learning curves showed a trend toward a reduction in operation time across the three SPLA subgroups. Conclusions. Single-port laparoscopic appendectomy is a technically feasible and safe option for appendicitis. The number of cases of non-complicated acute appendicitis treated in our study suggests an achievable level of surgical skill required for SPLA. The SPLA group had some favorable outcomes: lower total wound length and reduced VAS score in postoperative date 1 in this study. Further studies should be conducted in complicated acute appendicitis cases.