GLOVE FINGER TECHNIQUE FOR APPENDIX RETRIEVAL AFTER APPENDECTOMY

Objectives: Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) becoming an increasingly common operation for appendicitis. Guidelines have been published for performing LA however limited attention has been given for extraction of the appendix during the LA. The two most used techniques for appendix extraction include a) use of retrieval bag, and b) direct extraction of appendix through the umbilical trocar site. The latter is limited only to thin and non-fragile appendices. Retrieval bags on the other hand can cost $30 and $150. In era of cost effectiveness, there has been explanation of the use of a simple surgical glove's finger for extraction of appendix. This costs between $0.50 to $1.50, however lacks literature support. The purpose of this study is to evaluate outcomes of our surgical glove's finger technique for appendix extraction.

Methods: IRB approval was obtained. A total of 100 consecutive pediatric patients (Age < 18) between 2016-2020 who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy with appendix retrieval using surgical glove’s finger were included in the study. A retrospective review was conducted and the following data was recorded: age, sex, length of stay, surgical site infection (SSI) at the time of discharge, SSI at postoperative follow up, 30 day readmission.

Results: Among the 100 patients, none of them developed a surgical site infection at discharge or at postoperative follow-up. None of the patients experienced a delay in discharge due to concerns for SSI. Further, none of the patients were readmitted for concerns for SSI.

Conclusion: The use of surgical glove for extraction of appendix decreases the cost of laparoscopic appendectomy, is safe and does not add to the morbidity of the patient.