Incidental Appendectomy

Abstract

Removal of the normal appendix during abdominal pelvic surgery has been carefully studied for a number of years. Waters, in 1977, reviewed his personal experience with 830 patients in whom elective appendectomy was performed.⁵ He found no increase in morbidity or mortality, with an appendectomy rate of 47% in abdominal hysterectomies performed over a 47-year period. Others have noted no increase in morbidity or mortality in incidental appendectomy in trauma cases³ or with vaginal hysterectomy, ectopic pregnancy, and cesarean section.^1,2,5 Removal of the appendix when the patient is explored and is found to have acute pelvic inflammatory disease likewise does not increase mortality or morbidity rates over those for acute pelvic inflammatory disease managed without appendectomy.⁴