Background: Hybrid appendectomy (HA) has the technical advantages of the excellent visual field provided by laparoscopic surgery and is fast and easy similar to open surgery. We aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness of HA with single- and multiport laparoscopic appendectomy (SPLA and MPLA) in pediatric patients with acute appendicitis. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study compared the short-term operative outcomes between HA, SPLA, and MPLA groups. From January, 2010 to December, 2019, 239 patients aged <12 years who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis were included. The primary outcome was the 30-day postoperative complication rate, stratified according to the modified Clavien-Dindo classification. Results: In 239 patients, HA was more frequently performed in patients with a low body mass index (17.42 versus 18.97 kg/m2 in the SPLA group versus 18.44 kg/m2 in the MPLA group, P = .029) and tended to be more frequently adopted in uncomplicated appendicitis. In uncomplicated appendicitis, the HA group had a significantly shorter operation time than the MPLA group (31.77 versus 40.09 min, P < .001), but had a comparable operation duration with the SPLA group. The rate of 30-day postoperative complications was not significantly different between the groups (HA 7.6% versus SPLA 7.8% versus MPLA 5.4%, P = .841). The postoperative time to resume water intake was significantly longer in the SPLA group than in the HA and MPLA groups (P = .008). Conclusions: HA showed a short operation time, fast functional recovery, and acceptable postoperative complication rate in patients with uncomplicated appendicitis and can be safely and effectively performed in these patients.
Keywords: appendicitis; hybrid appendectomy; laparoscopy; multiport; single-port.