Where is appendicitis

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. To start, they will give you antibiotics. Then they will use a needle to drain the abscess of pus. To treat appendicitis, your doctor may use a type of surgery known as appendectomy. During this procedure, they will remove your appendix. If your appendix has burst, they will also clean out your abdominal cavity. In some cases, your doctor may use laparoscopy to perform minimally invasive surgery. In other cases, they may have to use open surgery to remove your appendix.

Like any surgery, there are some risks associated with appendectomy. However, the risks of appendectomy are smaller than the risks of untreated appendicitis. Find out more about the potential risks and benefits of this surgery. Acute appendicitis is a severe and sudden case of appendicitis. The symptoms tend to develop quickly over the course of one to two days.

It requires immediate medical treatment. If left untreated, it can cause your appendix to rupture. This can be a serious and even fatal complication.

Acute appendicitis is more common than chronic appendicitis. Learn more about the similarities and differences between these conditions. Chronic appendicitis is less common than acute appendicitis. In chronic cases of appendicitis, the symptoms may be relatively mild. They may disappear before reappearing again over a period of weeks, months, or even years. This type of appendicitis can be challenging to diagnose.

Chronic appendicitis can be dangerous. Get the information you need to recognize and treat this condition. An estimated 70, children experience appendicitis every year in the United States. In children and teenagers, appendicitis often causes a stomachache near the navel. If your child develops symptoms of appendicitis, contact their doctor right away. If you have laparoscopic surgery to remove your appendix, you may be discharged from the hospital a few hours after you finish surgery or the next day.

If you have open surgery, you will likely need to spend more time in the hospital to recover afterward. Open surgery is more invasive than laparoscopic surgery and typically requires more follow-up care. Before you leave the hospital, your healthcare provider can help you learn how to care for your incision sites. They may prescribe antibiotics or pain relievers to support your recovery process.

They may also advise you to adjust your diet, avoid strenuous activity, or make other changes to your daily habits while you heal. It may take several weeks for you to fully recover from appendicitis and surgery.

If you develop complications, your recovery may take longer. Learn about some of the strategies you can use to promote a full recovery. Acute appendicitis is the most common non-obstetric emergency requiring surgery during pregnancy. It affects an estimated 0. The symptoms of appendicitis may be mistaken for routine discomfort from pregnancy. Pregnancy may also cause your appendix to shift upward in your abdomen, which can affect the location of appendicitis-related pain.

This can make it harder to diagnose. Delayed diagnosis and treatment may increase your risk of complications, including miscarriage. Appendicitis can cause serious complications.

For example, it may cause a pocket of pus known as an abscess to form in your appendix. This abscess may leak pus and bacteria into your abdominal cavity. Appendicitis can also lead to a ruptured appendix. If your appendix ruptures, it can spill fecal matter and bacteria into your abdominal cavity. If bacteria spill into your abdominal cavity, it can cause the lining of your abdominal cavity to become infected and inflamed.

This is known as peritonitis , and it can be very serious, even fatal. Bacterial infections can also affect other organs in your abdomen. For example, bacteria from a ruptured abscess or appendix may enter your bladder or colon. It may also travel through your bloodstream to other parts of your body. To prevent or manage these complications, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, surgery, or other treatments.

In some cases, you might develop side effects or complications from treatment. However, the risks associated with antibiotics and surgery tend to be less serious than the potential complications of untreated appendicitis. Urine tests: To see if you have a urinary tract infection. You may also have some imaging tests, including: Abdominal ultrasound: Lets the doctor see internal organs as they work and checks how blood is flowing through different blood vessels.

CT scan: Shows detailed images of any part of the body, such as the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. How is appendicitis treated? Appendicitis is a medical emergency.

It is likely the appendix will burst and cause a serious, deadly infection. For this reason, in almost all situations, your healthcare provider will advise that you have surgery to remove your appendix. The appendix may be removed in an open procedure or using laparoscopy: Open traditional surgery method. You are given anesthesia. A cut incision is made in the lower right-hand side of your belly. The surgeon finds the appendix and takes it out.

If the appendix has burst, a small tube shunt may be placed to drain out pus and other fluids in the belly. The shunt will be taken out in a few days, when your surgeon feels the infection has gone away.

Laparoscopic method. This surgery uses several small cuts incisions and a camera laparoscope to look inside your belly. The surgical tools are placed through a few small incisions. The laparoscope is placed through another incision.

A laparoscopy can often be done even if the appendix has burst. Complications of Appendicitis The main problem with appendicitis is the risk of a burst appendix. This may happen if the appendix is not removed quickly. A burst appendix can lead to infection in the belly, called peritonitis.

Peritonitis can be very serious and even cause death if not treated right away. Can appendicitis be prevented? At this time, there is no known way to stop appendicitis from happening. When should I call my healthcare provider? If you have any of the symptoms of appendicitis listed above, call your healthcare provider right away.

Or go to an emergency department. Appendicitis is a serious medical emergency. It should be treated as quickly as possible.

Key Points About Appendicitis Appendicitis is when your appendix becomes sore, swollen, and diseased. Antibiotics are given to the patient intravenously to reduce the possibility of peritonitis.

The typical hospital stay for an appendicectomy is between three and five days. Removing the appendix appears to have no effect on the workings of the digestive system, in either the short or long term. An alternative to surgery is antibiotic therapy. Studies that have compared the outcome of surgery to the outcome of antibiotics show that about 70 per cent of cases may resolve with antibiotic therapy and not require surgery.

However, the factors leading to failure of antibiotic therapy are not known, so antibiotic therapy alone is usually reserved for patients too frail to undergo surgery. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:. The type of pain felt in the abdomen can vary greatly.

Children may feel stomach pain for a range of reasons and may need treatment. Around half of cases of anal fissures heal by themselves with proper self-care and avoidance of constipation. Barium tests are used to examine conditions of the digestive tract such as reflux, narrowing or ulceration. Hepatitis C Cure - what it means for Victorians. Content on this website is provided for information purposes only. Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional.

The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances.

The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet.

On this page. Symptoms of appendicitis Causes of appendicitis Perforated appendix Diagnosis of appendicitis Treatment for appendicitis Where to get help Things to remember.