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What Is Appendicitis?
Your side may hurt so much that you called your doctor. Or maybe you went straight to the hospital emergency room. If the symptoms came on quickly, you may have appendicitis. This is an infection of the appendix. Surgery can stop the infection.
Pain and Other Symptoms
Appendicitis can happen to anyone. Symptoms tend to appear quickly, often over a day or two.
Symptoms can include:
- Pain that starts in the center of your belly and moves to your lower right side
- Increased pain and pressure on your side when you walk
- Vomiting, nausea, or decreased appetite
- Fever or fatigue
- Diarrhea or constipation to stand up straight.
How Surgery Helps
Medication can't cure appendicitis. But an appendectomy (surgery to remove an infected appendix) can. This is a very common procedure. Removing the appendix should not affect your long-term health. It's best to remove the appendix before it bursts. If an infected or burst appendix is not removed, it can cause severe health problems.
Reaching the Appendix
One of two techniques may be used to reach the appendix. Your surgeon will discuss which is best for you.
- Open surgery: One incision (about 2 to 3 inches long) is made in your lower right side. A bigger incision may be used if the appendix has perforated.
- Laparoscopic surgery: From 2 to 4 small incisions are used. One is near your bellybutton. The others are elsewhere on your abdomen. A laparoscope, a thin tube with a camera attached, is inserted through one incision. The camera shows the inside of your abdomen on a monitor. This image helps guide the surgery. Surgical tools are inserted in the other incisions.
Recovery
Most patients recover quickly after appendectomy. You will likely be in the hospital for 1 to 2 days. If your appendix burst you may stay longer. After you return home, plan on a follow-up visit to the doctor in 1 to 2 weeks. |
