Introduction
Closure of the appendicular stump in laparoscopic appendectomy is a crucial step owing to its importance in preventing postoperative infectious complications. The best method is still debatable. In this study, we used a titanium LT400 clip; the aim was to investigate the safety and feasibility of the clip as an alternative for stump closure.
Patients and methods
A prospective randomized study was conducted for all patients presented with acute appendicitis and had laparoscopic appendectomy using LT400 clips for stump closure. Hospital records over 2 years for intraoperative and postoperative complications, operation time, duration of hospital stay, rehospitalization, reoperation, and incidence of using different methods to close the stump of the appendix other than the LT400 clips among patients were analyzed.
Results
This study included 102 patients who presented with acute appendicitis including 29 cases complicated by abscess, mass, and gangrene. All participants were operated on by laparoscopic appendectomy, with one case converted to open surgery. Median lengths of operative time and hospital stays were 29.11 min and 1 day, respectively. The clips used ranged from three to eight LT400 clips in each case. In addition, we used Hem-O-Lok clips for the closure of the appendix stump in 10 (9.8%) patients. Postoperative complications occurred in seven cases; all were superficial wound infection. There was no intestinal leakage or need for readmission to hospital.
Conclusions
LT400 clips are a safe, feasible, easy to apply, and cheap alternative for stump closure in laparoscopic appendectomy.