**5.2 Implications for future research**

In our opinion future research should first of all determine the role of diagnostic investigations (such as laboratory parameters, US, CT and MRI) which could lower the percentage of negative laparoscopies, especially in pregnant women and high risk patients. Also, a cost-benetit analysis of the routine appliance of US and CT in order to avoid negative laparoscopies would be reasonable. Additionally, the importance of leaving back a macroscopically innocent appendix in several patient categories (women of childbearing age, patients with chronic pain, high-risk- patients, children) if no other pathology is found should be further investigated. Another issue are intraabdominal abscesses. The role of the patients characteristics, the surgeon's expertise, the stump closure, the intraabdominal lavage and the standardization of technique in abscess formation should be further explored. The value of new techniques like the single port, the needlescopic and the robotic procedure in special cases should be investigated, as should the place of laparoscopy in obese patients and pregnant patients. Finally the late results of laparoscopic appendectomy should be explored (adhesions, SBO).
