Laparoscopic versus Open Appendectomy

To the Editor: Advocates of laparoscopic appendectomy contend that it is superior to open appendectomy because there is less morbidity, a shorter hospital stay, and faster convalescence.1,2 We collected data on 277 appendectomies (175 open and 102 laparoscopic) performed in three hospitals in Nashville, Tennessee, during 1991 and 1992. To ensure similar clinical characteristics in the groups studied, we assessed 230 patients (143 who underwent open appendectomy and 87 who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy) with similar preoperative health (categories I and II of the classification system of the American Society of Anesthesiology [ASA]) and appendiceal disease (i.e., a normal appendix, . . .