Appendicitis is a medical emergency in which the appendix, a small pouch attached to the large intestine in the lower right abdomen, becomes inflamed, usually because it is blocked. Pain often starts near the navel and moves to the lower right side, with nausea, fever and poor appetite. Treatment aims to control the inflammation early, before the appendix bursts and infection spreads.
Sudden, worsening abdominal pain needs emergency care at once; do not wait or rely on painkillers or laxatives. Diagnosis combines examination, blood tests and ultrasound or CT. Treatment is most often removal of the appendix under general anaesthesia, by keyhole or open surgery, with antibiotics. In selected cases a doctor may choose antibiotics alone.
Surgery usually takes half an hour to an hour, and hospital stay runs from a day to a few days. Many people resume light activity within days, and full recovery usually takes two to six weeks, depending on the surgery and the patient.
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Yes. It should be suspected when abdominal pain keeps getting worse, especially in the lower right side with nausea or fever, and emergency care should be sought immediately. Delay may lead to a burst appendix and peritonitis, which are serious complications.
Pain usually starts around the navel and then settles in the lower right abdomen, with nausea, vomiting, a mild fever and loss of appetite. It may worsen with movement or coughing. Symptoms can look different in children, pregnant women and older adults.
Diagnosis is based on a clinical examination and blood and urine tests, followed by ultrasound or a CT scan depending on the case and the patient's age. The doctor chooses the appropriate tests, and imaging does not replace the doctor's assessment.
It is usually treated by surgical removal of the appendix with antibiotics, most often by keyhole surgery or by open surgery when needed. In certain uncomplicated cases the doctor may decide on antibiotics alone with follow-up, although the inflammation may return.
The operation is usually urgent, so you will be asked to fast, have tests, receive a drip and be given an antibiotic and pain relief. Tell the team about your medicines and allergies, and do not stop any medicine, especially blood thinners, without the doctor's instruction.
Many patients leave hospital after a day to a few days and return to light activity within days, avoiding heavy lifting for several weeks. Recovery may take longer if the appendix burst or if more antibiotics or drainage of an abscess are needed.
It does not usually return once the appendix has been removed. If antibiotics alone were used, it may come back in some patients and surgery may then be needed, which the doctor explains before choosing the plan.
They include wound infection, an abscess inside the abdomen, bleeding, bowel obstruction and anaesthetic risks. If treatment is delayed and the appendix bursts, complications become more likely and the hospital stay and recovery are longer.
Keyhole surgery usually leaves three small scars or a single small one, while open surgery leaves a longer scar in the lower right abdomen. Scars tend to improve with time, and their appearance varies from person to person.
It is usually advised to wait about a week after uncomplicated surgery, and longer if the appendix burst or complications occurred. The treating doctor checks the wound and confirms when it is suitable to travel.
