Vaginal appendectomy at laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy: a surgical option.

This report demonstrates the use of the laparoscope as a means of selecting and facilitating cases of incidental appendectomy by the vaginal route in 12 patients undergoing laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy. The procedure was performed successfully in all cases, required an average of 12 min additional of operating time, and was not accompanied by intraoperative or postoperative complications. Our preliminary experience suggests that in selected cases, laparoscopic-assisted transvaginal appendectomy is a simple, cost-effective alternative to laparoscopic appendectomy.