ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic surgery for overweight/obese patients with acute perforated or gangrenous appendicitis. MethodsFrom January 2007 to December 2014, patients with acute perforated or gangrenous appendicitis underwent laparoscopic (152 cases) or open (60 cases) appendectomy were collected, who were retrospectively classified into overweight/obese group (BMI≥25 kg/m2, n=69) or normal weight group (BMI < 25 kg/m2, n=143). Conversion rate, operation time, hospital stay, readmission, reoperation, and postoperative complications such as incision infection, abdominal abscess, and lung infection were analyzed. Results①The rate of conversion to open surgery had no significant difference between the overweight/obese group and the normal weight group[4.2% (2/48) versus 6.7% (7/104), χ2=0.06, P > 0.05].②The operation time of laparoscopic surgery in the overweight/obese group was significantly shorter than that of the open surgery in the overweight/obese group[(41.6±11.7) min versus (63.1±23.3) min, P < 0.01], which had no significant difference between the laparoscopic surgery in the overweight/obese group and laparoscopic surgery in the normal weight group[(41.6±11.7) min versus (39.6±12.7) min, P > 0.05].③The total complications rate and incision infection rate of the laparoscopic surgery in the overweight/obese group were significantly lower than those of the open surgery in the overweight/obese group[total complications rate:16.7% (8/48) versus 52.4% (11/21), χ2=9.34, P < 0.01; incision infection rate:4.2% (2/48) versus 33.3% (7/21), χ2=8.54, P < 0.01]. Although the total complications rate of all the patients in the overweight/obese group was increased as compared with all the patients in the normal weight group[27.5% (19/69) versus 14.7% (21/143), χ2=5.02, P < 0.01], but which had no significant difference between the laparoscopic surgery in the overweight/obese group and laparoscopic surgery in the normal weight group[16.7% (8/48) versus 12.5% (13/104), χ2=0.45, P > 0.05].④The reoperation rate of all the patients performed laparoscopic surgery was significantly lower than that of all the patients performed open operation[1.3% (2/152) versus 10.0% (6/60), χ2=6.7, P < 0.01].⑤The abdominal abscess rate, lung infection rate, and hospital stay after discharge had no significant differences among all the patients (P > 0.05). ConclusionLaparoscopic appendectomy could be considered a safe technique for overweight/obese patients with acute perforated or gangrenous appendicitis, which could not increase the difficulty of laparoscopic surgery and the perioperative risk.