[Laparoscopic evaluation of the appendix]

In the Netherlands every year about 16,000 appendectomies are carried out. Despite the increase in preoperative radiological evaluation of the appendix, the negative appendectomy rate is still around 16%, with a morbidity of approximately 5%. The Dutch practice guideline on appendicitis states that a normal appendix should not be removed, although laparoscopic criteria to establish appendicitis are lacking. Retrospective analysis of negative appendectomies shows that in 51% of cases the surgeon was convinced the appendix was inflamed. Furthermore, in an online survey, 78% of responding Dutch surgeons stated that if good and reproducible criteria for identifying appendicitis during laparoscopy were available they would use them. In conclusion, laparoscopic evaluation of the appendix is not always easy and use of the laparoscopic appendicitis score (LAPP) might lead to fewer negative appendectomies with their associated morbidity. Surgeons should be more aware of the morbidity associated with a negative appendectomy.