All You Need to Know About Your Upcoming Appendectomy

 


According to the Cleveland Clinic, roughly 300,000 appendectomies are performed in the U.S. each year, making them one of the most common and routine emergency procedures in the country.

Whether you have an emergency procedure or your healthcare provider has recommended that you schedule an appendectomy soon, here’s an overview of a few important details:

Why is an appendectomy performed?

An appendectomy is considered the safest course of action for most cases of appendicitis.

The appendix is one of the smallest organs in the body, and inflammation and infection can cause it to burst and rupture, which can rapidly spread infections, such as sepsis, to the rest of the body. If left untreated, it can lead to severe inflammation and serious health risks.

An appendectomy is an emergency procedure that is often highly time sensitive, and it needs to be scheduled and performed ideally before the appendix ruptures or as soon as it happens.

Is it a major surgery? How is it performed?

While absolutely necessary and lifesaving, appendectomies are no longer strictly major surgeries. In fact, it’s common practice at most surgical hospitals in Houston, and the U.S. in general, to perform a laparoscopic appendectomy, which is minimally invasive and highly efficient. Your surgeon will use small incisions and cameras to navigate and skillfully remove the appendix through one of the incisions he or she makes.

More often than not, your procedure will be scheduled within 24 hours of symptoms and diagnosis, and you will be admitted and prepared with IVs to treat the infection, which will also continue post-op.

Does an appendectomy lead to extensive downtime?

Appendectomies don’t require a lot of downtime after the operation, especially if you get a laparoscopic appendectomy. In many cases, you might be sent home the same day or kept in the hospital for a couple of nights for observation if you have suffered from a rupture. Your antibiotic treatment will most likely be continued intravenously, or you may be prescribed medication to take at home and then be scheduled to return to have your drainage tube removed.

Downtime varies from person to person, but you should be up and at it within a few days, although certain types of physical activity and movement may be limited.

If you’re suffering from an infection and require an appendectomy, TOPS Surgical Specialty Hospital performs hundreds of general surgery procedures each year. Visit the hospital’s general surgery page and scroll to the bottom to find the right general surgeon near you. Each surgeon performs procedures at our specialty hospital in North Houston. Once you find a specialist, you can click on his or her bio to reveal their contact information and make an appointment directly with their office.

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