Minimally Invasive Surgery

Review Article

TULAA: A Minimally Invasive Appendicectomy Technique for the Paediatric Patient

Table 1

Summary of the analysed literature including population, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and trocars and scopes used.
AuthorPopulation number of patients, age in yearsSelection criteriaTrocar(s)Scope
Esposito
1998 [5]		51 patients
4–16 (μ 7)		Not specifiedSingle trocar 10 mmOperative scope
Valla et al.
1999 [6]		200 patients
5–18 (μ 9)		No peritonitis
No abscess
No palpable mass		Single trocar 11 mmOperative scope
Martino et al.
2001 [7]		40 patients,
paediatric, age not specified		Not specifiedSingle trocar 10 mmOperative scope
Pappalepore et al.
2002 [8]		58 patients
paediatric, age not specified		UncomplicatedTwo trocars 10 mm and 5 mmNormal scope
D’Alessio et al.
2002 [9]		150 patients
2.5–17.4		Not specifiedSingle trocarNot specified
Rispoli et al.
2002 [10]		65 patients
mixed population, age not specified		Not specifiedSingle trocar
10 mm		Operative scope
Koontz et al. 2006 [11]111 patients
μ 11 ± 3.2		All children with preoperative diagnosis of appendicitisSingle trocar
10 mm		Operative scope
Varshney et al. 2007 [12]11 patients
12–56 y.o. (μ 34)		Not specifiedSingle trocar
10 mm		Operative scope
Visnjic 2008 [13]29 patients
5–17 (μ 9.5)		Not specifiedSingle trocarNot specified
Guanà et al. 2010 [14]231 patients
μ 11.6 (3–18)		Exclusion of perforated appendicitisSingle trocar
11 mm		Operative scope
Sesia et al. 2010 [15]262
μ 11.4 (1.1–15.9)		Exclusion of perforated appendix suspected on USSSingle trocar
12 mm with 5 mm working channel		Normal scope
Saber et al. 2010 [16]26 patients
M 33 (13–64)		Exclusion of perforated appendix or abscess at USS or CTTwo trocars (12 mm and 5 mm) through the same umbilical incisionNormal scope
Shekherdimian and DeUgarte 2011 [17]21 patients
paediatric, age not specified		Not specifiedSingle trocar
3 or 5 mm		Normal scope, grasper inserted through wound
Stylianos et al. 2011 [18]398 patients
paediatric, age not specified		Not specifiedSingle trocar 12 mmOperative scope
Ostlie 2011 [19]180 patients
μ 		Not specifiedSingle trocar 12 mm plus fascial incisionNormal scope, instruments inserted through fascial incision
Ohno et al. 2012 [20]500 patients
M 10.2 (2–16)		Not specifiedSingle trocar
12 mm used with 2 instruments		Normal scope, grasper inserted via the same port
Codrich et al. 2013 [21]203 patients
μ 10 (3–17)		As per study protocolSingle trocar 11 mmOperative scope
Koizumi et al.
2015 [22]		94 patients
μ 41.1 (13–89)		Exclusion of patients with peritonitisSingle trocar, triportNormal scope
Nicola 2014 [23]120 patients
μ 9.9 (6–14)		0–14 years old, uncomplicated appendicitisSingle trocar 10 mmOperative scope
Bergholz et al. 2014 [24]20 patients
Not reported		Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Gupta et al. 2014 [25]58 patients
μ 10.2 (3–16)		Only interval appendectomySingle trocar 5 mmNormal scope, second instrument inserted through facial incision
Kulaylat et al.
2014 [26]		132 patients
μ 9.4 (3.8)		Not specified2 × 5 mm trocars inserted through two umbilical fascial incisions30 degrees 5 mm scope
Scirè et al.
2014 [27]		62 patients
Not specified		Not specifiedNot specifiedNot specified
Noviello et al.
2015 [28]		300 patientsUncomplicated appendicitisNot reportedNot reported