Laparoscopic versus open appendicectomy in pregnancy: experience from a single institution and meta-analysis.

Background: Acute appendicitis remains an uncommon cause of non-obstetric abdominal pain during pregnancy, with surgery being the preferred management option. We examined our experience with the surgical management of appendicitis during pregnancy, particularly the risk of foetal loss during the 1st and 2nd trimester and performed a meta-analysis of the available literature.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients who had an appendicectomy during pregnancy (January 2010 to December 2019) and a meta-analysis comparing foetal death in open appendicectomy versus laparoscopic appendicectomy during the 1st and 2nd trimester.