Background: acute appendicitis is a common indication for abdominal surgery with a life-time incidence between 7 and 9% and appendectomy is one of the most common surgical procedures. Open appendectomy (OA) performed through the right lower quadrant incision was first described in 1894. It has become the standard treatment of choice for acute appendicitis, due to its efficacy and safety. Objective: the aim of the present study was to compare the frequency of readmissions due to bowel obstruction (BO) after open versus laparoscopic surgery performed for suspected acute appendicitis. Patients and Methods: this was performed in Aswan University hospital, on 100 patients from April 2015 to April 2017 who underwent laparoscopic and open appendectomy. The merits and drawbacks of LA and OA were explained to all of the patients with diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Results: a statistically significant difference was found when comparing the operative time of the LA and OA. The operating times in OA and LA were 16-37 min (mean 24.7) and 19-45 min (mean 33.1), respectively. The OA was shorter in duration, with a P value less than or equal to 0.05 (Mann-Whitney test). Conclusion: laparoscopic appendectomy is equally safe, and can provide less postoperative morbidity in experienced hands, as open appendectomy. Most cases of acute appendicitis can be treated laparoscopically. Laparoscopic appendectomy is a useful method for reducing hospital stay, complications and return to normal activity.