Comparison of post operative pain between open and laparoscopic appendectomy in acute appendicitis.

Objective: To compare post-operative pain between open and laparoscopic appendectomy in patients diagnosed with appendicitis presenting at a tertiary care hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Study Design: Observational study. Setting: Department of Surgery, Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. Period: January 2023 to June 2023. Material & Methods: The study included patients aged above 18 years of both genders, diagnosed with acute appendicitis based on ultrasound or CT scan. The decision regarding the surgical procedure was made by the surgeon team on call according to their experience and preference. Patients were divided into two groups, i.e., open appendectomy (OA) and laparoscopic appendectomy (LA). Pain in both groups was assessed at 12 hours and 24 hours after surgery using visual analogue scale. Results: The LA group had a mean age of 38.94±7.90 years, while the OA group had a mean age of 40.92±8.37 years. The mean BMI in the LA group was 36.75±8.50 kg/m2, and in the OA group, it was 37.56±6.22 kg/m2. When evaluating pain scores at the 12th (4.62±2.01 vs 5.28±1.91, p=0.027) and 24th hours (3.08±1.49 vs 3.64±1.61, p=0.017), the LA group exhibited lower pain scores compared to the OA group. Conclusion: As compared to OA, LA is superior approach in terms of post-operative pain in patients with acute appendicitis.