Appendectomy – Appendicitis

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Treatment options for appendicitis Depending on your condition, your doctor’s recommended treatment plan for appendicitis may include one or more of the following:surgery to remove your appendix … Read More

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Appendectomy – Appendicitis

Depending on your condition, your doctor’s recommended treatment plan for appendicitis may include one or more of the following:
• surgery to remove your appendix
needle drainage or surgery to drain an abscess
• antibiotics
• pain relievers
• IV fluids
• liquid diet

In rare cases, appendicitis may get better without surgery. But in most cases, you will need surgery to remove your appendix. This is known as an appendectomy. If you have an abscess that hasn’t ruptured, your doctor may treat the abscess before you undergo surgery. To start, they will give you antibiotics. Then they will use a needle to drain the abscess of pus.

Symptoms

If you have appendicitis, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms:

• pain in your upper abdomen or around your belly-button
• pain in the lower right side of your abdomen
• loss of appetite
• indigestion, nausea, vomiting
• diarrhea
• constipation
• abdominal swelling
• inability to pass gas
• low-grade fever

Appendicitis pain may start off as mild cramping. It often becomes more steady and severe over time. It may start in your upper abdomen or bellybutton area, before moving to the lower right quadrant of your abdomen.

If you’re constipated and you suspect that you may have appendicitis, avoid taking laxatives or using an enema. These treatments may cause your appendix to burst. Contact your doctor if you have tenderness in the right side of your abdomen along with any of other symptoms of appendicitis. Appendicitis can quickly become a medical emergency. Get the information you need to recognize this serious condition.

Causes

The exact cause of appendicitis is unknown. Experts believe it develops when part of the appendix becomes obstructed, or blocked.
Many things can potentially block your appendix, including:
• a buildup of hardened stool
• enlarged lymphoid follicles
• intestinal worms
• traumatic injury
• tumors
When your appendix becomes blocked, bacteria can multiply inside it. This can lead to the formation of pus and swelling, which can cause painful pressure in your abdomen.

FAQ

What are the common symptoms of appendicitis?
The most common symptom of appendicitis is pain near the naval area that radiates towards to lower right side of the abdomen. The patient may also experience –
• Loss of appetite.
• Low grade fever
• Inability to pass gas
• Indigestion
• Nausea and vomiting.

What are the types of appendicitis?
Appendicitis is if 2 types – Acute and Chronic. Acute is the sudden and severe case of appendicitis in which the patient becomes symptomatic in one or two days .Chronic appendicitis is more dangerous with symptoms being mild and coming up over a period of weeks, months or even years.

How is appendicitis diagnosed?
Appendicitis is diagnosed by performing –
• Complete blood count -To check increase in WBCs as appendicitis is often accompanied by infections.
• Urine tests -To rule out some urinary tract infection or kidney stones.
• Abdominal image tests like X rays, CT scan, MRI and ultrasound.

What are the treatment options available for appendicitis?
In most cases, a surgery is an immediate requirement, in which the appendix is removed known as appendectomy. Along with this, antibiotics are given. In required cases, the pus may be drained.

How is appendix surgery done?
The doctor may either use a minimal invasive technique also called laparoscopy in which a small incision is given to remove the appendix. In this recovery is faster.
There is also an open surgery option, in which a larger incision is given. This is usually done when the appendix has ruptured and to clean the infection, if the patient has undergone previous abdominal surgeries or due to presence of tumors in the digestive tract.

How much time is required to recover from appendix surgery?
In case of a laproscopic surgery, lesser time is required, about 3 weeks. While in case of an open surgery, recovery may take around 4 weeks.

What activities should be avoided after appendix surgery?
Strenuous activity like weight lifting, running, jogging should be avoided immediately after the surgery.

What are the complications of appendicitis?
If left untreated, the appendix may burst releasing harmful bacteria in the abdominal cavity causing infections and can become life threatening.