Appendicectomy: assessment of stump invagination versus simple ligation: a prospective, randomized trial

The appendix stump was ligated and doubly invaginated in 374 patients and was simply ligated in 361 in a prospective, randomized trial of 735 consecutive appendicectomies. The two groups were similar with respect to sex, age, degree of appendiceal inflammation and antibiotic treatment. The incidence of wound infection and postoperative pyrexia and the postoperative hospital stay showed no significant intergroup difference. The median operating time was slightly shorter in the group without invagination. Simple ligation facilitates and shortens appendicectomy. It produces no deformation of the caecal wall that subsequently may be mistaken for a caecal neoplasm. Simple ligation is therefore recommended as standard procedure in appendicectomy.