Surgery shows superior treatment success for acute appendicitis

A network meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials evaluated various antibiotic treatments against surgical options for acute appendicitis. Results indicated that surgical intervention had the highest initial treatment success (66.5% SUCRA) and was superior at 1-year follow-up compared to selected antibiotic regimens. However, no significant differences were identified for treatment-related complications among interventions. Overall, while surgical treatment is effective, it may carry a higher complication risk compared to antibiotic alternatives.