Laparoscopic Appendicectomy: The Ideal Procedure for Laparoscopic Skill Training for Surgical Registrars

OBJECTIVEAppendicectomy is a very common surgical procedure performed by registrars. It is mainly carried out by surgical registrars as an open procedure in many government hospitals. We aimed to evaluate laparoscopic appendicectomy as a laparoscopic training skill in a clinical setting for our registrars.METHODSA retrospective analysis of all attempted laparoscopic appendicectomies over 12 months by experienced surgeons and registrars was done. Factors evaluated were operating time, conversion rate, postoperative hospital stay, morbidity and mortality.RESULTSThere was no statistically significant difference in operating time for surgeons and registrars (mean, 53 minutes vs. 60 minutes), conversion rate (10% vs. 11%). Mean hospital stay for patients operated on by surgeons was 3.1 days and 3.2 days for registrars. Morbidity was equal with both surgeons and registrars.CONCLUSIONWe conclude that laparoscopic appendicectomy is a safe laparoscopic training tool for registrars with basic laparoscopic knowledge who have had a proper apprenticeship, and can be done in a clinical setting.