MARCH 6, 2018

Clinicians Debate Patient Input In Appendicitis Management

Some say current lit supports shared decision making on surgery versus antibiotics; others say data not there yet

San Diego—Is it time for shared decision making for patients who have uncomplicated appendicitis?

At the 2017 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons, several surgeons put forth that it is so, saying surgery should no longer be the go-to option for patients with uncomplicated appendicitis. Instead, clinicians and patients should work together to decide how to treat appendicitis after considering the risks and benefits of each treatment with patients’ preferences and