LAPAROSCOPIC VERSUS OPEN APPENDECTOMY IN ADULTS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CLINICAL OUTCOMES

Acute appendicitis is one of the most common causes of emergency abdominal surgery in adults. Appendectomy remains the standard surgical treatment for patients requiring operative management. With advances in minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic appendectomy has become increasingly preferred over the traditional open approach. However, both techniques have specific advantages and limitations that may influence postoperative recovery, complication rates, hospital stay, and overall treatment costs. This article provides a comparative analysis of laparoscopic and open appendectomy in adult patients, focusing on surgical techniques, postoperative pain, wound infections, intra-abdominal abscesses, operative duration, length of hospitalization, recovery time, cosmetic outcomes, and economic considerations. Evidence from systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, and international clinical guidelines indicates that laparoscopic appendectomy is generally associated with less postoperative pain, fewer surgical-site infections, shorter hospital stays, and faster return to normal activities. Nevertheless, the laparoscopic approach requires specialized equipment and adequate surgical expertise, and its operative duration may be longer in some settings. Open appendectomy remains an important alternative when laparoscopic facilities are unavailable or when patient-specific clinical circumstances make an open procedure more appropriate. The choice of surgical technique should be individualized according to disease severity, patient characteristics, available resources, and the experience of the surgical team.