Compared with medical treatment (antibiotics, local cooling, etc.) in patients with clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis, surgery results in:
- Lower rate of recurrent appendicitis
- Similar length of hospital stay and work disability
- Higher pain intensity during the first few days
Compared with medical treatment in patients with chronic right lower quadrant pain, surgery results in:
- Less pain in the long run
- Slightly higher rates of adverse events
Regarding incidental appendectomy in asymptomatic patients, there are:
- No results from high-quality trials.
In open appendectomy simple ligation of the appendiceal stump versus stump inversion (= purse string suture) resulted in:
- Comparable or even lower rates of local complications
- Shorter operating times
Patients with suspected appendicitis may already be administered analgesics upon hospitalization because:
- This reduces pain effectively
- Without affecting the physical examination of the abdomen