Acute Appendicitis in Pregnant Women: Our Clinical Experience

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyse 13 patients who were treated in ourclinic due to acute appendicitis during pregnancy.Methods: Records of the patients who received appendectomy with appendicitis diagnosisin our Turgut Özal University Research and Application Hospital between January 2007and December 2015 have been analyzed retrospectively.Results: Appendectomies were performed on 13 pregnant patients with an acuteappendicitis diagnosis. Average age of the patients was 27.69 years (between 22-37 years).Most frequent complaint of the patients was abdominal pain and most frequentexamination finding was tenderness at right lower quadrant. Ultrasonography was used inall cases for diagnosis. Surgery was decided with clinical diagnosis for five cases (38.5%)where appendix had not been identified with ultrasonography. While laparoscopicappendectomy was applied in one case (7.7%) and open appendectomy was applied using aMcBurney incision in 12 cases (92.3%). Average hospitalization duration was 1.69 days.All patients were tracked together through the Gynaecology Department for two weeksafter they had been discharged from the hospital. Preterm delivery, maternal and fetal lossdid not occur.Conclusion: It is considered appropriate to apply ultrasonography routinely to allpregnant patients in whom acute appendicitis is suspected. Concern for maternal or fetalcomplication that may occur in consequence of an unnecessary surgery should not be at alevel that will delay surgical treatment needed by the patient