Shalaby 2001.

Methods	Randomised controlled trial
Participants	Number of participants: 150 Number of centres: 2 Mean age: 10 years Number of males: 67 Number of females: 83 Inclusion criteria: diagnosis of acute appendicitis from October 1997 to October 1999 Exclusion criteria: NS
Interventions	Intervention arm 1: Endo GIA (Ethicon Endo‐Surgery, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA) stapler Intervention arm 2: extracorporeal laparoscopically assisted appendectomy Control arm: ligature (Endoloop) Antibiotic use: 50 mg/kg ceftriaxone preoperatively, then 1 or 2 doses postoperatively. Metronidazole 25 mg/kg to those with suppurative and gangrenous appendicitis
Outcomes	Primary outcome measures: residual abscess, wound infection, bleeding, and intestinal obstruction Secondary outcome measures: cost, operative time, and hospital stay
Notes	Level of seniority of operating surgeon not specified
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Low risk	Quote: "Randomly assigned to one of the groups using a table of random numbers. The randomisation procedure was not restricted".
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Information insufficient to allow judgement
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	It is unclear whether participants were aware of the method used. Personnel would likely be aware from operative records.
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Information insufficient to allow judgement, but personnel would likely be aware from operative records.
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	No missing outcome data
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	No a priori publication of intended outcomes was identified from either a published trial protocol or trial registration.
Other bias	Low risk	This study appears to be free of other sources of bias.