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For longer than 100 years, appendectomy has been the mainstay of treatment for patients with appendicitis. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that antibiotic treatment alone can be effective for many patients. Two studies published during the past year add to this evidence.
One report provided long-term follow-up from a randomized trial (originally published in 2015) in which a 10-day antibiotic course and appendectomy were compared in 530 adults with uncomplicated appendicitis (i.e., absence of appendicolith, perforation, or abscess). In that original report, 73% of participants who received antibiotics avoided surgery at 1 year (NEJM JW Gen Med Jul 15 2015 and JAMA 2015; 313:2340). This year, the same researchers reported that, a…