EVALUATION OF THE LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF APPENDECTOMY PERFORMED USING THE SPICES (SINGLE-PORT INCISIONLESS INTRACORPOREAL CONVENTIONAL EQUIPMENT SURGERY) TECHNIQUE IN CHILDREN

43. Ulusal Çocuk Cerrahisi kongresi ve Mısır Çocuk Cerrahisi ortak kongresi, İstanbul, Türkiye, 21 - 24 Ekim 2026, ss.40-41, (Özet Bildiri)

Objective: Appendicitis is the most common acute abdominal condition requiring surgery in childhood. Minimally

invasive surgery is currently the standard treatment approach. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes

of patients operated on using the SPICES technique, first described in our department in 2005.

Materials and Methods: Demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, appendicitis type (acute/complicated),

operative characteristics, operative duration, short- and long-term complications, and long-term outcomes of patients

treated with the SPICES technique between 2005 and 2025 were retrospectively recorded.

Results: A total of 2,106 patients were included; 814 were female and 1,292 were male. Mean age was 10.9 ± 3.9

years, mean leukocyte count was 15.5 ± 5.1 × 10³/μL, and mean C-reactive protein level was 49.9 ± 68.8 mg/L. In 1,551

patients (73.6%), the operation was initiated and completed using SPICES. Complicated appendicitis was present in

309 patients (14.7%); among these, 157 (65.4%) underwent operations initiated and completed using SPICES. Mean

operative duration was 94.8 ± 45.2 minutes, mean time to enteral feeding was 1.2 ± 0.9 days, and mean hospital stay

was 2.8 ± 2.1 days. In complicated appendicitis, patients whose procedures were completed using SPICES had a mean

time to enteral feeding of 2.0 ± 1.2 days and a mean hospital stay of 4.5 ± 1.9 days, compared with 2.8 ± 1.7 days and

6.3 ± 3.4 days, respectively, in those completed using the open technique. Time to enteral feeding and hospital stay

were significantly shorter in patients treated with SPICES. The most common complication was surgical site infection,

observed in 75 patients (3.6%).

Conclusion: The SPICES technique should be preferred because it is performed within the umbilical boundaries,

provides favorable cosmetic outcomes, rarely requires additional ports, can be applied in both acute and complicated

cases, allows treatment of additional pathologies, and shortens time to enteral feeding and hospital stay.