ABSTRACT
References 214
1. INTRODUCTION
Appendectomy remains one of the most common procedures done for acute abdominal
pain. Since MacBurney (1) described the classic abdominal wall incision in 1894 this
has remained the classic approach to the inflamed appendix with low morbidity and mor-
tality. The application of laparoscopy to appendicitis in adults followed Semm’s initial
description in 1983 (2). The first laparoscopic appendectomy in children was performed
in 1988 (3). However, unlike laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallbladder disease, it
has not become the procedure of choice for appendicitis in children or adults, and the
indications for this approach remain controversial.
