Laparoscopic Appendicectomy
Keyhole removal of an inflamed appendix.
What is Laparoscopic Appendicectomy?
Removal of the appendix through three small openings using a camera and fine instruments, viewed on a 4K ultra-HD monitor. Less pain, a smaller scar and a quicker return to school than open surgery.
Hospital stay
2 to 3 days; longer if perforated.
Performed by
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
- Normal
- The problem
Why It Is Done
Surgery is advised in these situations. The decision is always made after examining your child, never from a description.
- Appendicitis has been diagnosed — delay is what causes perforation
- Urgently where there is generalised tenderness, high fever or signs the appendix has burst
- After initial antibiotics in a child who presents late with a walled-off appendix mass
Before the Day
- Intravenous fluids and antibiotics are started as soon as the diagnosis is made
- Blood tests, urine test and usually an ultrasound
- Nothing by mouth from the time of admission
During the Operation
- General anaesthetic
- Three small openings; the appendix is freed, tied and removed
- If it has perforated, the abdomen is washed out thoroughly
- Usually 30 to 60 minutes
Afterwards, and at Home
- Simple appendicitis: two to three days, eating and walking the next day
- Perforated appendicitis: often five to seven days with a longer antibiotic course
- Back to school in about a week; no sport for three to four weeks
What Can Go Wrong
- Infection of a wound, or a collection inside the abdomen after a perforated appendix
- Conversion to open surgery if the anatomy or inflammation demands it — a judgement, not a complication
- Bleeding, or injury to nearby structures, which are uncommon
- Adhesions forming later, which can rarely cause obstruction
Every operation carries risk. These are listed openly because a parent consenting to surgery is entitled to know them — not because they are expected. The surgeon will go through which of them actually apply to your child.
Common Questions
If your question is not here, send it on WhatsApp and the hospital team will answer.
Dr. Pratheep Samraj
Consultant Paediatric & Neonatal Surgeon · Palliyadi, Kanyakumari
Super-specialist surgical care for newborns, infants and children, with expertise in paediatric urology, congenital anomalies, gastro-intestinal surgery and minimally invasive surgery.
Three small cuts, and back at school sooner.
The keyhole approach on the 4K system here is what we use for appendicitis in children. If your child has pain in the lower right now, that is a today problem — come in.
Consultation 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM · 24-hour laboratory & pharmacy
In an emergency — green vomiting in a baby, a groin swelling that will not go back, severe tummy pain, or a newborn not passing urine or meconium — come straight to the hospital or to your nearest emergency department. Do not wait for a reply to a message.