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PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Acute appendicitis.

POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Ruptured appendicitis.

PROCEDURE: Laparoscopic appendectomy.

INDICATIONS FOR PROCEDURE: This patient is a 4-year-old boy with less than 24-hour history of apparent right lower quadrant abdominal pain associated with vomiting and fevers. The patient has elevated white count on exam and CT scan consistent with acute appendicitis.

DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE: The patient was taken to the operating room, placed supine, put under general endotracheal anesthesia. The patient's abdomen was prepped and draped in usual sterile fashion. A periumbilical incision was made. The fascia was incised. Peritoneal cavity entered bluntly. A 10-mm trocar and scope was passed. Peritoneal cavity was insufflated. Five-mm ports placed in left lower and hypogastric areas. On visualization of the right lower quadrant, appendix was visualized stuck against the right anterior abdominal wall, there is obvious site of perforation and leakage of content and pus. We proceeded to take the mesoappendix down to the base, and once the base was free, we placed GIA stapler across the base, fired the stapler, removed the appendix through the periumbilical port site. We irrigated and suctioned out the right lower and pelvic areas. We then removed the ports under direct visualization, closed the periumbilical port site fascia with 0 Vicryl, all skin incisions with 5-0 Monocryl, and dressed with Steri-Strips. The patient was extubated in the operating table and taken back to recovery room. The patient tolerated the procedure well.

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