Appendicectomy for Appendicitis and Laparoscopy Training

Background: Globally, acute appendicitis is the most common cause of acute surgical abdomen with significant morbidity and mortality. Laparoscopy is a notable stride in the improvement of surgical care. Aims: To study the practice of appendicectomy in the tertiary hospital setting of a developing country to know who performs it, when and how. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of all appendicectomies for acute Appendicitis performed in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) from January 2007 to December 2012. Data were extracted from the theatre records on demographics, anaesthesia, cadre of surgeon, method of operation and operating time. Statistical analysis of data was done using SPSS version 20. Results: A total of 432 appendicectomies for acute appendicitis were performed during the study period. There were 205 males and 217 females with 10 unspecified cases. Four hundred and eight (98.6%) were by open method while 6 (1.4%) underwent laparoscopic appendicectomy. Senior registrars performed most appendectomies 255 (59%) while consultant surgeons performed 83 (19.0%) cases. Conclusions: Surgical trainees perform most of the emergency operations for acute appendicitis. The open method is routinely used however a structured training in laparoscopic appendicectomy especially for surgical trainees is recommended.