Foul-smelling brownish (feculent) discharge from an appendectomy wound means bowel content is coming through the wound. This points to a fecal (caeco/colo-cutaneous) fistula, a listed complication of appendectomy. The patient should not be discharged. Simple wound infection gives purulent discharge with local inflammation, and an infected hematoma gives dark bloody discharge. Neither fits, so discharging or simply opening the wound is inappropriate.