2. Outline
• Let us revise vermiform Appendix
• Definition of Appendectomy
• Indications
• Types
• Open Appendectomy
• Laparoscopic (Key hole) Appendectomy
• Complications
• References
3. The appendix
• The vermiform or worm like appendix,
arising from the posteromedial wall of
the caecum, about 2cm below the
ileocecal orifice.
Dimensions:
• The length varies from 2 to 20 cm
• or 2-9 in. with an average of 9cm.
• It is longer in children than adults.
• The diameter is about 5mm.
• The lumen is quite narrow and may be
obliterated after mid adult life.
4. Positions
•The appendix lies in the right
iliac fossa.
•Although the base of the
appendix is fixed, the tip can
point in any direction.
5. Peritoneal relations
• The appendix is suspended by a
small, triangular fold of
peritoneum, called the
mesoappendix, or appendicular
mesentery.
• The fold passes upwards behind the
ileum, and is attached to the left
layer of the mesentery.
8. Nerve supply
Sympathetic nerves are derived from segments T9 to T10 through
the celiac plexus.
Parasympathetic nerves are derived from the Vegas N.
10. What is an Appendectomy?
• An appendectomy, also termed
appendicectomy, is a surgical operation in
which the vermiform appendix is removed.
• Appendectomy is normally performed as
an urgent or emergency procedure to treat
complicated acute appendicitis.
Appendectomy may be performed
laparoscopically or as an open operation
12. INDICATIONS
•Acute appendicitis
•Recurrent appendicitis, Stump Appendicitis
• As Interval appendectomy after drainage of abscess or in appendiceal
mass
•Carcinoid tumor : at the tip <2cm
•Mucocele of the appendix
•Appendicular graft; ileal conduit
•On table colonic lavage
13. Contraindications
• Extensive adhesions
• Radiation or immunosuppressive therapy,
• severe portal hypertension
• Gross coagulopathies.
• Laparoscopic appendectomy is contraindicated in the first trimester
of pregnancy
• Concerns for Crohn’s disease or Meckel’s diverticulum should be of
priority.
14. If an acutely inflamed appendix had been found and removed, the rest
of the abdomen does not need to be explored.
Local lavage
• However, if the appendix is not inflamed, the surgeon needs to
exclude other pathologic processes;
• Terminal ileitis
• Meckel’s diverticulum
• Tubal or ovarian cause in female
• Crohn’s disease
15. Open Appendectomy (Conventional)- An
overview
• Under general anesthesia, skin is incised. Two layers of superficial fascia are cut.
• External oblique aponeurosis is opened in the line of incision.
• Internal oblique and transverse muscles are split in the line of fibres.
• Peritoneum is opened in the line of incision.
• Caecum is identified by taeniae, and ileocaecal junction.
• Omentum when adherent is separated.
• Appendix is held with Babcock’s forceps.
• Mesoappendix with appendicular artery is ligated. Using thread or silk, a purse—string
suture is placed around the base of the appendix.
• Base of the appendix is crushed with artery forceps and transfixed using vicryl (absorbable).
Appendix is cut distal to the suture ligature and removed.
• Stump is cleaned with antiseptics. Purse string suture is tightened so as to bury the stump.
16. Special circumstances:
-Edema of the cecal wall.
-Base of the app. severely inflamed.
-Gangrenous app. base.
-Retrograde appendectomy.
-Drainage of the peritoneal cavity ??
17. PRE-OP PREPARATION
• INVESTIGATION
• Urinalysis- exclude infection
• Full blood count- leukocytosis
• Ultrasound scan – non compressible diameter of > 6mm
• Rehydrate patient with IV fluids; N/S
• Pass urethral catheter
• N-G tube
• IV antibiotics prophylaxis- broad Prophylactic antibiotics are
indicated preoperatively with a single-drug regimen, usually a
cephalosporin.
18. Open Appendectomy (Conventional)- Incision
•
The incision is placed at the point of maximum
tenderness.
• APPROACHES;
1. Mc Burney’s/Grid iron ; an incision placed
perpendicular to the McBurney’s point i.e an
lateral 1/3 and medial 2/3 of an imaginary line
joining the ASIS and the umbilicus.
2. Lanz; skin crease incision. Cosmetically better.
approximately 2 cm below the umbilicus
centered on the mid-clavicular– mi inguinal
line.
3. Rutherford Morison’s ; muscle cutting. The
muscles are cut upwards and laterally- cutting
the internal oblique and transverses
abdominis- extension of Mc Burney
4. Right Paramedian;
Lower mid-line; when in doubt of peritonitis,
pelvic appendix,
19. The dissection of aponeurosis:
• Subcutaneous fat lays after
skin. It can be dissected with
scalpel or moved in a blunt way
by swab ( or by the opposite
side of scalpel).
• Superficial fascia slightly incised
and under it we may see fibers
of aponeurosis of abdominal
external oblique muscle.
• This fibers should be cut along
by Cooper’s scissors.
20. Splitting of internal oblique and transversal
abdominal muscles.
• Fibers of internal oblique and
transversal abdominal muscles
are moved apart with a help of 2
closed hemostatic forceps.
• Preperitoneal fat is situated after
muscle layer. It also should be
moved apart in a blunt way.
21. • Parietal peritoneum is
picked up by 2
hemostatic forceps.
Surgeon should check,
that intestine is not
under the forceps. After
it, the peritoneum should
be cut.
• Gauze tissues are fixed
to the brims of
peritoneum by
Mikulicz's clamps
22. Extermination of the cecum in the wound:
• Cecum is often situated at the area of typical
section.
• In some situations the section can be widened
upper or lower.
• Before the extermination, the surgeon should
make a revision by index to make sure, that there
is no commissures, that can prevent the
extermination.
• If there is no obstacles, then surgeon carefully
pulls the intestine by it’s anterior wall, and so the
intestine can be exterminated into the wound.
23. The extraction of appendix:
• Appendix often comes into the
wound after the cecum.
• Surgeon carefully takes the
appendix by mouse-tooth
forceps and pulls it from the
abdominal cavity.
• In some cases, appendix can be
pulled out by index.
• Extracted appendix is fixed by
soft clamp, which should be
placed on the mesentery near
the top of appendix.
24. Methods of appendectomy
• Antegrade (in the case of mobile cecum)
• Retrograde (in the case of immobile cecum)
26. Bandaging of the appendix’s mesentery:
The mesentery is
bandaged by thick silk or
catgut thread near the
base of appendix with a
help of Deschamps’ ligature
needle or a hemostatic
clamp. The ligature
shouldn’t be put too low,
because arteries
• that saturates the wall of
the cecum can be
damaged.
27. Putting in a purse-string suture:
• A seromuscular purse-string
suture is put on the cecum at
the distance near 1- 1,5 cm from
the base of appendix
28. Bandaging of the appendix:
• Surgeon puts 2 clamps
near the base of appendix
and removes one of them
so that on the wall of
appendix forms a furrow.
A catgut ligature is put in
the area of this furrow.
29. Cutting of the appendix
• Appendix is cut between the
ligature and another clamp. The
stump of appendix should be
seared by iodine and dipped in
the purse- string suture.
38. Cutting of the appendix’s mesentery between
the hemostatic clamps
• a surgeon starts a bandaging of
mesentery, gradually isolating it
from the base to the top.
Mobilisated appendix moves off.
Mesentery stump is bandaged
by catgut thread.
40. Putting in a Z-shaped suture
•Sometimes a
seromuscular Z-shaped
suture is put over the
purse-string suture for
more leak tightness
41. Appendectomy. Retroperitoneal
position of appendix
• If there is no commissures in the abdominal cavity and the
appendix can not be found, then a surgeon should think
about the retroperitoneal position of appendix. In this case
appendix is situated behind the ascending colon and it’s top
can reach the lower pole of kidney
42. The section line of parietal peritoneum:
• Surgeon cuts the
parietal peritoneum
for a distance of 10-
15 cm, stepping
back on 1 cm
outside from cecum
and ascending
colon.
43. Bringing of gauze handle under the base of
appendix:
• Cecum should
be moved
inside,
founding the
appendix/ It
should be
taken on the
gauze handle
near its’ base
45. Cutting of the appendix:
• Appendix is cut under the clamp
46. Dipping the stump of appendix.
• Appendix stump is dipped in
the purse- string suture
47. Sewing of parietal peritoneum:
• After moving off the appendix the
intestine is laid back and the borders
of dissected peritoneum sews back
by uninterrupted catgut suture.
• The wound of abdominal wall sews
tightly, if there were no destructive
changes in the appendix. But
sometimes the inflammation process
spreads into the retroperitoneal fat.
In such cases the retroperitoneal
space should be drained.
48. CLOSURE
• The peritoneum is grasped with curved Kelly clamps and
approximated with 3-0 continuous absorbable sutures.
• The transversus and internal oblique muscle layers are irrigated
and loosely approximated with 2-0 absorbable sutures
• The external oblique fascia is repaired with continuous
absorbable sutures
• The subcutaneous tissue is irrigated, and the skin is
approximated with staples.
• If there had been excessive contamination of the wound, it should
be left open and the subcutaneous tissue packed with saline-
soaked gauze. A delayed primary closure can be performed by day
3 to 4.
49. The final stage:
• After moving out the appendix cecum moves back in the abdominal cavity.
Surgeon should check that there is no bleeding from the mesentery and then the
wound of the abdominal wall sews tightly in layers. Peritoneum sews by
uninterrupted catgut suture, muscles, aponeurosis and subcutaneous fat - by
nodal catgut suture, skin – by nodal silk suture.
• In some cases abdominal cavity should be drained by thin rubber or polyvinyl
chloride tube.
• Putting in a rubber tube is indicated in such cases, when there was purulent
exudate in the abdominal cavity of phlegmonous changes of cecum.
53. • Nowadays, laparoscopic
appendectomy becomes very
popular. This variant is considered to
be less traumatically, but not always
technically can be done. Even if the
operation started from laparoscopic
method, surgeon must always be
ready to make the traditional
appendectomy.
• The valuable aspect of laparoscopy
in the management of suspected
appendicitis is as a diagnostic tool,
especially in women of child-bearing
age.
54. The Set up – position of the patient and the
surgical team • Place the patient in step Trendelenburg position to
allow the intestines to slide out of the pelvis, and
perform a thorough exploration to confirm the
diagnosis.
• The surgical procedure is performed under general
anesthesia.
• The bladder is decompressed with a Foley catheter
to avoid injury during insertion of the supra-pubic
ports.
76. POST-OP MANAGEMENT
• In uncomplicated case, antibiotics should be continued up to 24
hours post-operatively ,oral fluid are started 12hrs after recovery
followed by light diet 24hrs later.
• In complicated antibiotics should be continued for anywhere
between 3 and 7 days, iv fluids, iv antibiotics and NPO with NG
tube drainage until bowel activity recommence and temperature
subsides
• An interval appendectomy is generally performed 6-8 weeks after
conservative management with antibiotics for special cases, such as
perforated appendicitis
• Stiches removed in 7-10days
77. Post operative Complications
1. Wound infection (Most common)
• 5-10% of patient
• 4-5th day
2. Intra- abdominal abscess -8%
3. Hemorrhage
4. Acute intestinal obstruction
5. Generalized peritonitis (Postoperative
peritonitis)
6. Respiratory infections
7. UTI
8. Venous thrombosis and embolism
9. Portal pyemia
10.Fecal/ Intestinal fistula
78. Alternative Methods of Appendectomy
• Laparoscopic Single-Incision Appendectomy
• Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES)
79. Laparoscopic Single-Incision Appendectomy
• With laparoscopic single-incision appendectomy, the patient
is prepared similarly to laparoscopic appendectomy.
• Under general anesthesia, the patient is secured in a supine
position with the left arm tucked. The surgeon and assistant
stand on the left side facing the appendix and the screen.
• When performing laparoscopic single-incision
appendectomy, the surgeon’s hands perform the opposite
function that they would normally in standard laparoscopic
surgery.
• The appendix may be placed in a retrieval bag or removed
through the single incision.
• There have been multiple small trials evaluating the efficacy
of laparoscopic single-incision appendectomy compared to
standard appendectomy; however, there has only been one
prospective randomized study (in the pediatric population)
and one meta-analysis.
• Although further study is needed, it appears that in
laparoscopic appendectomy, laparoscopic single-incision
appendectomy conveys no discernible advantage or
disadvantage with short-term outcomes. Late outcomes and
patient quality- of-life outcomes remain to be investigated.
80. Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic
Surgery
• Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is a
new surgical procedure using flexible endoscopes in the
abdominal cavity. In this procedure, access is gained by way of
organs that are reached through a natural, already-existing
external orifice.
• The hoped-for advantages associated with this method include
the reduction of postoperative wound pain, shorter
convalescence, avoidance of wound infection and abdominal
wall hernias, and the absence of scars.
• The main concern with NOTES has been complications with
closure of the enterotomy. To date, there is no reliable method
of closure of the gastrotomy site, and there has been significant
morbidity reported with this approach.
• Although the transvaginal approach appears to be more
promising, in women surveyed on their perception of NOTES,
three-quarters were either neutral or unhappy about the
prospects of NOTES.
81. REFERENCES
• Schwartz's Principles of Surgery ;Textbook by F. Charles Brunicardi and Seymour I.
Schwartz
• SRB's Manual of Surgery 5th
edition.
• Washington's manual of surgery 7th
edition.
• Curet MJ et al. (2009). Laparoscopic General Surgery. In Jaffe RA, Samuels SI (Eds.),
Anesthesiologist’s Manual of Surgical Procedures (4th
Ed., pp. 569-608). Philadelphia:
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
• Jeong J et al. Laparoscopic appendectomy is a safe and beneficial procedure in
pregnant women. Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech 2011;21:1, 24-27.
• Sauerland S, Jaschinski T, Neugebauer EA. Laparoscopic versus open surgery for
suspected appendicitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Oct 6;(10):CD001546.
• Dershwitz M, ed. The MGH Board Review of Anesthesiology, 5th
ed. New York: Appelton
& Lange, 1999.
• Atlas of Surgical Operations ;Book by Jr Robert Zollinger