• appendicitis
• appendicectomy

When I had an uncomplicated appendicectomy in 1969, I stayed on the children’s ward for a week. Since then, as surgical and anaesthetic techniques have improved, post-operative lengths-of-stay have reduced dramatically. Also, day-case surgery has now become the norm for many elective childhood operations that previously meant an overnight stay, such as tonsillectomy and orchidopexy. There is evidence that same-day discharge (SDD) is safe and popular in adults. So why shouldn’t children go home on the same day as their appendicectomy? …