Table 1.

Questionnaire sent out to members of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, the French Society for Endoscopic Surgery and the Italian Society for Endoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopy for right iliac fossa pain

Please highlight or bold the most appropriate answer.

1. In a young patient who presents acutely with right iliac fossa pain, with normal blood and urinalysis but who remains tender in the right iliac fossa, what would be your next management step?

Male:  Observation □  Ultrasonography □   Computed tomography □

Diagnostic laparoscopy □   Open appendicectomy □   Other □

Female:   Observation □   Ultrasonography □   Computed tomography □

Diagnostic laparoscopy □   Open appendicectomy □   Other □

2. You have made the decision to perform a diagnostic laparoscopy for your patient who has presented as a surgical emergency with right iliac fossa pain. Intra-operatively you find no pathology. Would you remove the appendix?

Male:   Yes  No

Female:   Yes  No

3. If yes, is this for any of the following reasons?

To prevent future appendicitis For possible endoluminal appendicitis (inflammation of the mucosa of the appendix with an externally normal appendix) To avoid future confusion for the patient as to whether or not he or she has an appendix Other (please specify)

4. Do you feel that there are sufficient clear guidelines on this topic?

If so, from what source?