[Appendectomy with intraoperative celioscopy in children. 465 cases].

The authors report a retrospective series of 465 appendectomies with intraoperative celioscopy in children under age 16. The technical issues and the indications are discussed. The results are the following: No death, 3.6% intraoperative incidents of no consequence, 3% postoperative complications, including 1.3% requiring second surgery or celioscopy. These results are better than those obtained with conventional surgery. The advantages of appendicectomy with intraoperative celioscopy are the following: easy, quick search for the appendix, whatever its location, exploration of the entire abdominal cavity, possibility to perform a complete peritoneal washing, suppression of parietal complications, and almost no skin scar, definite reduction in the number of intraperitoneal residual abscesses, and likely reduction of postoperative adhesions, which are a cause of obstruction, of chronic pain and of infertility in girls, rapid resumption of transit and of all activities, including sports.