Appendectomy (cont.)
Dennis Lee, MD
Dr. Lee was born in Shanghai, China, and received his college and medical training in the United States. He is fluent in English and three Chinese dialects. He graduated with chemistry departmental honors from Harvey Mudd College. He was appointed president of AOA society at UCLA School of Medicine. He underwent internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training at Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
Jay W. Marks, MD
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
In this Article
- What is the appendix?
- What is appendicitis?
- What are the complications of appendicitis?
- What are the symptoms of appendicitis?
- How is appendicitis diagnosed?
- Why can it be difficult to diagnose appendicitis?
- What other conditions mimic appendicitis?
- How is appendicitis treated?
- How is an appendectomy done?
- What are the complications of appendectomy?
- Are there long-term consequences of removing the appendix?
- Appendectomy At A Glance
- Find a local Doctor in your town
What are the complications of appendicitis?
The most frequent complication of appendicitis is perforation. Perforation of
the appendix can lead to a peri-appendiceal abscess (collection of infected pus)
or diffuse peritonitis (infection of the entire lining of the abdomen and the
pelvis). The
major reason for appendiceal perforation is delay in diagnosis and
treatment.
A less common complication of appendicitis is blockage of the intestine. Blockage occurs when the inflammation surrounding the appendix causes the intestinal muscle to stop working, and this prevents the intestinal contents from passing. If the intestine above the blockage begins to fill with liquid and gas, the abdomen distends and nausea and vomiting may occur. It then may be necessary to drain the contents of the intestine through a tube passed through the nose and esophagus and into the stomach and intestine.
A feared complication of appendicitis is sepsis, a condition in which infecting bacteria enter the blood and travel to other parts of the body. This is a very serious, even life-threatening complication. Fortunately, it occurs infrequently.
What are the symptoms of appendicitis?
The main symptom of appendicitis is abdominal pain. The pain is at first
diffuse and poorly localized, that is, not confined to one spot. (Poorly
localized pain is typical whenever a problem is confined to the
small intestine or colon, including
the appendix.) The pain is so difficult to pinpoint that when asked to point to
the area of the pain, most people indicate the location of the pain with a
circular motion of their hand around the central part of
their abdomen.
As appendiceal inflammation increases, it extends through the appendix to its outer covering and then to the lining of the abdomen, a thin membrane called the peritoneum. Once the peritoneum becomes inflamed, the pain changes and then can be localized clearly to one small area. Generally, this area is between the front of the right hip bone and the belly button. The exact point is named after Dr. Charles McBurney--McBurney's point. If the appendix ruptures and infection spreads throughout the abdomen, the pain becomes diffuse again as the entire lining of the abdomen becomes inflamed.
Nausea and vomiting also occur in appendicitis and may be due to intestinal obstruction.
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