Residents' Performance of Single-Incision Pediatric Endo-Surgery Appendectomy (SIPESA) Versus Conventional Laparoscopic Appendectomy (CLA) in Two Centers

Background: The outcome of SIPESA performed by surgical residents is explored once in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, there are no published studies comparing the outcome of SIPESA versus CLA performed by the surgical residents.Aim: To assess the outcome of SIPESA at King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH), Jeddah versus CLA at Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC), Riyadh performed by surgical residents. Material & Methods: A retrospective comparative study of the outcome of SIPESA versus CLA conducted in two centers from January 2011 to July 2018. The two groups were compared for age, seniority of operating surgeon, mean operative time (MOT), perioperative complications and length of hospital stay (LOS).Results: 136 appendectomies (83(61%) SIPESA & 53(39%) CLA) were performed by residents between January 2011 and July 2018 in both centers. Postoperative complications were reported in 3.8% of CLA and 3.6% of SIPESA. There was no significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups. The MOT of SIPESA and CLA was 92.25 minutes & 87.85 minutes respectively. Conclusion: SIPESA and CLA performed by residents are equally safe and feasible with no added morbidity. We believe that this good outcome is related to the adequate supervision of residents by experienced surgeons in conjunction with a properly structured training program. There was no significant difference in the outcome of both groups.