Can interval appendectomy be justified following conservative treatment of perforated acute appendicitis?

Background: There continues to be controversy about the necessity of interval appendectomy for delayed presentation of acute appendicitis. While recent studies suggest that the risk of recurrent disease is small, the risk of interval appendectomy is also small and does provide histologic identification and usually definitive treatment of the right lower quadrant inflammatory process.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records gathered from 2002 to 2007 at a major teaching hospital of 986 adult patients over the age of 13 with appendicitis were analyzed.