Antibiotics provide a safe alternative to surgery for appendicitis

Antibiotic treatment is a viable alternative to appendicectomy for adults with imaging-confirmed acute appendicitis, as evidenced by a one-year complication rate of 5.4% for antibiotics compared to 8.3% for surgery. Approximately 66% of patients treated with antibiotics avoided surgery within the first year. However, patients with appendicolith experienced higher complications with antibiotics, prompting a substantial proportion to require subsequent appendicectomy. These findings emphasize the importance of shared decision-making in treatment selection.