Appendicitis. Treatment. part 7.

Appendectomy is performed urgently usually. Thomeo is Latin for dissect or cut. Lapar - is abdomen (belly) in medical Latin. Laparotomy is opening of belly. Appendectomy is cutting of appendix. Laparoscopy is looking (by scope) into belly. Antibiotics almost always are given prior to surgery as soon as appendicitis is suspected. Few patients have mild "confined appendicitis" localized to a small area. These patients may improve during several days of observation when treated with antibiotics alone. Doctors may or may not removed the appendix later. Chances are you are not one of this patients. If a person has not seen doctor for many days while appendicitis ruptured (yeah, sometime happens; there are some tough guys), an abscess may form, and the perforation may close. Initially it can be treated with antibiotics; however, that will require drainage later. A drain is guided under ultrasound or CT scan and appendix is removed after the abscess resolves. In modern days surgeons offer laparoscopic appendectomy. They insert laparoscope (it is like a small telescope with a video camera) and remove appendix with special instruments through small puncture wounds. If you had this type of surgery, you will probably have four 1-cm size scars and you will go home in one or two days. But if your case is complicated or there is just no laparoscopy in the hospital, they will do classical appendectomy. Surgeon cuts 10-cm incision in the area of the appendix. Appendix is removed form the right lower abdomen or where it is. Area is checked for other problems. In the case of abscess the purulent stuff will be drained with rubber tubes through the skin. With that kind of surgery you will probably stay for four to seven days. Antibiotics will help to resolve the abscess. This is why you sign the consent: "laparoscopic appendectomy, possible conversion to an open appendectomy". The most common complication of appendectomy is wound infection. If it is severe, the surgeon will postpone incision closure for several days. Ok, now you have those four small scars or one big scar, you go home and visit that party that you missed.


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