Obesity and single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy in children

Background Single-incision laparoscopic appendectomy (SILA) has emerged as a less-invasive alternative to conventional laparoscopy. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of body habitus on outcomes after SILA in the pediatric population. Methods A retrospective review of 413 patients who underwent SILA from 2012 to 2015 was performed. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and the BMI percentile was obtained per Center for Disease Control guidelines. Standard definitions for overweight (BMI 85th-94th percentile) and obese (BMI > 95th percentile) were used. General demographic and outcome data were analyzed. Results SILA was performed in 413 patients during the study period, of which 66.3% were normal weight, 16% were overweight, and 17.7% were obese. There were no significant differences in age at presentation, time to diagnosis, or intraoperative classification of appendicitis. There were no significant differences in operative time (27.0 ± 9.1 versus 27 ± 9.8 versus 28.4 ± 9.4 min, P = 0.514), postoperative length of stay (0.97 ± 1.65 versus 1.53 ± 4.15 versus 1.14 ± 2.27 d, P = 0.214), 30-d surgical site infections (6.9% versus 12.1% versus 8.2%, P = 0.377), emergency department visits (8.4% versus 10.6% versus 11%, P = 0.726), or readmissions (4.7% versus 4.1% versus 4.5%, P = 0.967) among normal, overweight, and obese groups. Conclusions Our results indicate that obesity does not significantly impact outcomes after SILA. SILA can be performed in overweight and obese children with no significant difference in operative time, length of stay, or incidence of surgical site infection. SILA should continue to be offered to overweight and obese children.