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Patient Education Anorectal Disease Hemorrhoids GERD Gallbladder Disease Appendicitis Before Surgery ICU Anal Fissure Pruritis Ani Stomach Ulcers Pancreatitis Colorectal Disease Wound Care Disclaimer This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and although every effort has been made to present accurate information, this is not a substitute for professional advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider or physician for inquiries regarding medical conditions, treatments, or before embarking on any new healthcare regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it due to information found here. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. No physician-patient relationship is created by use of this website. This website is based on my interpretation of medical literature and best clinical practices. It is my attempt to compile the information I share with my patients. This information does not replace the clinical expertise of a physician. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and validity of the information, yet there remains a possibility of inaccuracies or unintended errors in this information presented here. The practice of medicine relies on using the best available evidence, but clinical scenarios often lack clear-cut answers. Every clinical situation is unique, and no single solution applies universally. Clinical guidelines attempt to provide recommendations that apply in most situations, but that are not one-size-fits-all solutions and they do not replace clinical judgment. The infinite variety of patient, disease, and environmental factors influencing clinical decision-making cannot be fully accounted for in medical literature. Therefore, any variance in the approach of physicians from what is presented here does not necessarily signify an error on their part.

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< Back Appendicitis What is appendicitis? The appendix is a small worm-like structure that hangs from where the small and large bowel connect in your right lower abdomen. It can become inflamed and cause pain. What does surgery entail? What are the risks of the procedure? The surgery to remove your appendix involves using a camera and thin instruments. We typically make 3 incisions- one at your belly button, one right above your pubic bone and one in the left lower abdomen. We divide the appendix with a stapler and remove it. You’ll have a foley in your bladder to help get your bladder out of the way because one of the ports is placed right over the bladder. The folly goes in after you go to sleep and is removed before you wake up. It might burn the first time you pee after surgery. There is a risk of infection following an appendectomy. Bacteria live in the appendix and when we divide it, the bacteria can fall out and form an abscess. This risk is higher if your appendix is ruptured at the time of surgery. This typically presents very similar to appendicitis, because it’s an infection in the same part of your abdomen. Most of the time that can be managed without surgery. We can have our radiology colleagues place a drain into the abscess cavity. What can I expect post-operatively? You will have several small incisions from the laparoscopic port sites. They will have absorbable sutures, nothing that needs to be removed. You will have glue or gauze and paper tape on the incisions. The glue will peel off on its own in 10-14 days. If you have gauze, you can remove this in two days and shower like normal. You will have paper tape strips on the incision, and these will peel off on their own. You are at risk for a hernia through the small incisions, so avoid heavy lifting for 4 weeks after surgery. You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Motrin) as needed for pain. These can be taken at the same time. Take the narcotic pain medication if your pain is severe despite the acetaminophen and ibuprofen. After the few first days, you should work on decreasing the number of narcotics that you are taking. What can I eat after surgery? There are no specific dietary restrictions. However, if you eat a fatty meal, it may cause loose stool (diarrhea) until your body adjusts to not having your gallbladder, which previously stored the chemicals used to digest fatty food. This is seen in about 10% of patients and usually resolves. If it lasts more than a few weeks, there are medication options to treat this. What should I be worried about after surgery? If you have fever >101 F, severe nausea/ vomiting, inability to tolerate liquids, severe abdominal pain, increasing redness, or drainage from your incisions. Patient Information from Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) Appendix Removal (Appendectomy) Surgery American College of Surgeons Appendectomy: Surgical Removal of the Appendix Previous Next