Is Transumbilical Laparoscopy-assisted Appendectomy in the Pediatric Acute Uncomplicated Appendicitis Superior to Conventional 3 Port Laparoscopic Appendectomy?

Single port appendectomy can be considered as the better option than conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA) for pediatric patients with uncomplicated acute appendicitis in cosmetic aspect. However, this technique has not gained popularity because it has been regarded as a tricky and time-consuming procedure. Recently, the frequency of implementation of transumbilical laparoscopy-assisted appendectomy (TULAA) is increasing in pediatric patients with uncomplicated appendicitis. The reason that this operation is possible in children, is that the length between umbilicus and appendix is shorter than that of an adult, and the abdominal wall is flexible, so that the appendix can be extracted through umbilical incision. It was reported that the operation time was shorter and the postoperative frequency of complications was not high compared to the laparoscopic appendectomy with three conventional ports. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of transumbilical laparoscopic-assisted appendectomy (TULAA) and to compare them to the outcomes of CLA.