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Appendectomy is a common emergency abdominal surgery to remove your appendix if you have symptoms of appendicitis. You need emergency surgery if your appendix becomes swollen, infected, and sore. This is because if you have appendicitis, there might be a risk that your appendix might rupture.
An appendix that has ruptured or burst can cause peritonitis, a severe life-threatening infection in your abdomen. So, go for an appendectomy within 48 to 72 hours of noticing the symptoms of the appendix. To know what appendectomy is and its cost in India read this piece.
Appendectomy is the standard surgical procedure that doctors perform to remove infected appendicitis. This will prevent the dangerous complications of appendicitis, a painful swelling of your appendix.
So, what is an appendix?
An appendix is a minor tubular pouch-like attached to your large intestine, protruding from the rear section of your colon. It generally appears like a little tail and measures the length of your little finger. However, an appendix is located on the lower side, the right section of your abdomen. So, if you have appendicitis, you will surely feel a stinging pain in the exact area.
Here is what appendectomy treats, depending on the seriousness of the case:
There are two types of appendix surgery performed in major hospitals in India. While one is an open surgery, a standard procedure, the other is laparoscopic, a less invasive procedure.
Open appendectomy is when the surgeon makes one large incision of about 2 to 4 inches in your lower right abdomen. Surgeons will then open the abdominal cavity to locate your appendix there. If your appendix has ruptured, there might be an abscess or a fluid that they will drain out before performing the surgery.
Then, they will clean your abdominal cavity with a saline solution. Your appendix is then taken out, and the wound is stitched. Your doctor can choose to undergo this appendectomy procedure if you have a perforated appendix.
Laparoscopic appendectomy causes less pain than open appendectomy. This procedure is less invasive, and your surgeon will make a minor incision of about 1 to 3 cuts in your abdomen. Appendectomy steps begin as your doctor inserts a small port through this incision. Through this port, they will insert a cannula or a small tube.
A cannula is used to enlarge your abdominal cavity via carbon dioxide gas. After removing the cannula, they will insert a laparoscope, a long thin tube with a camera and a tiny light attached. The camera will clearly show the surgery to your surgeon, who will locate your appendix and conduct the surgery. The appendix is then removed through one of the incisions.
During this surgery, your surgeon might require an open appendectomy, depending on the seriousness of your appendix.
Since appendectomy is a serious surgery, you should consult a physician whenever you feel any appendix symptoms. Also, if you feel a sudden protruding pain near your belly button that continues towards your lower abdomen, you should consult a doctor immediately.
However, here are the preparations you need to make during the surgery:
Every surgery comes with its risks and complications. It all depends on your health condition and your recovery time. In this regard, some of the risks and post-appendectomy complications include:
You might experience additional risks depending upon surgery. In that case, it is ideal to consult your physician.
As soon as you are diagnosed with appendicitis, your physician will ask you to undergo certain tests. This is useful for evaluating your health condition. Additionally, if your doctor finds certain symptoms caused due to appendicitis, they will check stiffness in the lower right abdomen section.
To rule out any other health conditions such as gastroenteritis, kidney stones, etc., they will ask you to do the following tests to do before surgery:
You might feel a bit uncomfortable due to the anxiety from the surgery. Your doctor will ease the situation for you by detailing this surgery. Your medical team will continuously monitor your health condition and perform further tests to determine if your body is ready for surgery.
In most cases of appendectomy, you must stay in the hospital for a few days. You will either undergo an open appendectomy or laparoscopic surgery. This will depend upon your health condition. Here is what you expect during this surgery:
Nurses will shift you to your ward; an oxygen mask may stay for a few hours until you regain consciousness. However, a medical team will continuously monitor your health condition.
Well, most of you have this query about what to do after appendix surgery. There are certain things you require to follow post-surgery and after doctors discharge you. They are:
However, when you go back home, here are the things that you need to keep in mind:
You should immediately call your doctor in case you notice the following complications:
As soon as you notice these symptoms, be sure to call away your nearest physician. He/She will diagnose the issue and immediately take action.
According to recent studies, antibiotics might be an option in case you have any reservations regarding appendectomy. Some people might feel uncomfortable undergoing surgery. In that case, antibiotics might be an option but not a long-term solution.
When doctors diagnose that you have appendicitis, they will suggest you move for surgery. This will reduce further complications that might arise in future.
According to Comparing Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy or CODA, more than 30% of patients underwent appendectomy. This was because they were sure antibiotics were not working, and they were facing appendix pains.
Sometimes doctors prescribe antibiotics for uncomplicated appendicitis, and patients have also been cured from that. However, patients with appendicolith or a stone-like component inside the appendix fail to recover from antibiotics alone.
Having said that, it all depends on you and your body condition. You can try antibiotics if you feel that they can resolve this persistent issue. Notice if your problem or pain persists, then you can go for surgery after consulting your doctor.
The cost of the Appendix operation depends upon the type of surgery and city in India. Here is a table for your consideration
Type of Appendectomy |
Cost of Surgery in India (May Vary Across Cities) |
Open Appendectomy |
Approximately ₹ 30,000 to ₹ 60,000 |
Laparoscopic Appendectomy |
Approximately ₹ 55,000 to ₹ 1,20,000 |