Appendectomy

What is an Appendectomy?

An appendectomy is a surgical procedure to remove your appendix. This type of surgery is often performed as an emergency procedure when you develop acute symptoms due to appendicitis.

What Causes Appendicitis?

When you have appendicitis, your appendix is inflamed and infected. The appendix is a small, tube-shaped organ that’s attached to your large intestine in the lower right side of your abdomen.

Bacteria that live in your large intestine can get into the appendix where they thrive in the moist environment. As a result, an infection develops that causes swelling. The net result is that pressure begins to build inside the appendix.

The problem worsens when the opening from the appendix into the large intestine becomes blocked and the internal pressure continues to rise. The excessive pressure stops blood flow, leading to tissue deterioration. Before long, the appendix wall starts to break down.

Your appendix must be removed at this stage. Otherwise, the appendix wall will burst, allowing the infection to spread into your abdomen.

What Symptoms Show I Need an Appendectomy?

Although most patients expect to have pain in their lower right abdomen, your pain may not start there. You may have one or more of the following:

• Pain that starts near your belly button and moves to the lower right abdomen
• Sudden pain in the lower right abdomen
• Pain that’s worse when you walk
• Swelling and pressure in the abdomen
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Diarrhea or constipation

Don’t wait to get medical help when you have pain in your lower abdomen.

What Happens During an Appendectomy?

An appendectomy may be performed using two types of procedures:

• Open Appendectomy: Your surgeon at Naab Road Surgical Group makes an incision that’s about 2-4 inches long in your lower right abdomen. The appendix is then removed through the incision.
• Laparoscopic Appendectomy: This is a minimally invasive procedure performed through a few small cuts. A long, thin laparoscope is inserted through one of the incisions. The laparoscope holds lighting, a tiny video camera, and surgical tools. As the video camera sends images of the appendix to a monitor, your surgeon uses the tools to remove the appendix, which is pulled out through a different incision. Laparoscopic surgery is preferred because it causes less trauma, produces minimal bleeding, and allows for a quicker recovery compared to open surgery. However, open surgery may be needed if your appendix has ruptured.