Appendicoliths, Antibiotic Treatment Failure, and Appendectomy —Is the Glass Half Full or Half Empty?

During the first round of the hockey playoffs in 1994, Patrick Roy, the star goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, was hospitalized with “early appendicitis.” He categorically refused surgery and convinced his surgeons to treat him with antibiotics. Although he rapidly improved and led the team to victory in the next 2 games, there was widespread furor about this initial nonoperative management, which was seen as very poor medica l judgement.
Source: JAMA Surgery - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research