Purpose: The authors retrospectively compared single-port laparoscopic appendectomy (SPLA) with conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA) in terms of the perioperative outcomes in pediatric patients.
Methods: Cases of laparoscopic appendectomy between December 2009 and July 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic data, operating time, pathology of the appendix, hospital stay and surgical morbidities were compared.
Results: Ten patients underwent SPLA and 57 underwent CLA. The mean age of the CLA and SPLA groups were 11.2 and 10.6 years, respectively. The pathology of the appendix showed that relatively more severe cases were included in the CLA group. There were 2 cases of a post operative intra-abdominal abscess and 2 cases of an umbilical wound infection in the SPLA group. Therefore, the SPLA group showed a significantly higher surgical morbidity rate (p=0.003) and hospital stay (p=0.05). The mean operation time of the SPLA and CLA group was 88.1±30.1 and 71.6±26.3 minutes, respectively; the mean operation time of the SPLA group was slightly longer (p=0.054). On the other hand, surgical morbidity and the mean operation time showed a decreasing tendency in the latter half of 10 cases.
Conclusion: The initial experience of SPLA in pediatric patients shows a higher complication rate and longer hospital stay than CLA. On the other hand, the complication rates and operation time have been decreasing. The clinical outcomes are expected to improve after going through a learning curve.

Keywords: Single port, Laparoscopic appendectomy, Children