Background
Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) is an effective and a safe procedure for treatment of acute appendicitis. Various methods are used for securing mesoappendix during LA like LigaSure, harmonic scalpel, monopolar diathermy, and endoloops and endoclips, the use of which affects the duration of operation and the overall cost.
Aim
The aim of this study was to compare between the use of monopolar electrocoagulation versus LigaSure (Covidien) in securing of mesoappendix during LA regarding operative and postoperative findings as well as the overall cost.
Patients and methods
In total, 80 patients, diagnosed as acute appendicitis and scheduled for LA, were randomly grouped into two groups according to the instrument used for securing the mesoappendix: group A: monopolar diathermy was used and group B: LigaSure was used.
Results
Both methods were comparable regarding operative and postoperative findings; however, using LigaSure markedly decreased the operative time compared with using monopolar diathermy (mean 60.45 vs. 51.9 min, <0.001) and using monopolar diathermy markedly decreased the cost of operation compared with LigaSure (868.75 vs. 1962.5 Egyptian pounds, <0.001).
Conclusion
Within the limitations of this study, we conclude that the use of monopolar diathermy in securing the mesoappendix during LA is as safe as and is more cost-effective than using LigaSure.