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What is Appendicitis & Treatment of Appendicitis

 

Gallstone Appendicitis is one of the most common digestive tract-related health conditions in humans. In this brief article, we will take a look at what Appendicitis is and what are its treatment options.

Let’s get started.

What is Appendicitis?

An Appendix is a small digestive organ present on the right side of our body. It’s positioned at the junction of the large and small intestines. Its length can vary from 2 cm to 20 cm.

Appendicitis, or infection in the Appendicitis, is one of India’s most common surgical problems.

It’s very prevalent in kids and teenagers. Individuals between the age of 5 to 20 years are at risk of getting this infection. Kids between 10 to 20 years of age are at the highest risk of Appendicitis.

What are the Reasons For Appendicitis?

There are numerous reasons that can lead to Appendicitis. Here’s the list of the most common reasons:

  • Constipation
  • Bacterial and Viral Infection
  • Predisposed Tendency (Appendicitis is common in children from certain families)

Now, let’s take a quick look at the options for Appendicitis treatment.

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What are the treatment options for Appendicitis?

Although common, Appendicitis is a serious medical condition. So it’s mandatory to get treatment from a professional medical expert. There are two primary treatment alternatives available for Appendicitis:

Medical Management: In medical management, doctors treat Appendicitis with the help of medications and Saline. Medical management is a viable option if Appendicitis is being diagnosed at an early stage. This procedure is also known as Conservative Management.

The patient is kept empty-stomach and given an IV antibiotics course via Saline. The duration of this course is between 4 to 5 days. Almost 80% of the patients who have been diagnosed early can benefit from Medical Management.

The other 20% might need surgery. Apart from this, 80% of the patients treated with Medical Management might again experience the attack of Appendicitis. In such cases, surgery becomes necessary.

Surgical Treatment: Patients diagnosed late or exhibiting severe symptoms of Appendicitis require Surgical Treatment. During the procedure, doctors remove the Appendicitis of the patient. This surgery can either be performed via Laparoscopy or Open Surgery.

Today, most of these surgeries are performed via Laparoscopy to ensure quicker recovery and reduce pain. Usually, the patient is discharged from the hospital after 24 to 48 hours of the surgery.

But in some cases, where the condition is serious, or the Appendix has burst, and a lot of pus is deposited in the stomach, Open Surgery becomes inevitable.

The core goal of both types of surgeries is to remove the Appendix and control the infection in the body. In general, appendix surgeries are quite safe, and the possibility of complications is negligible. A person can live a normal life with a normal diet and digestion.

Wrapping up

We hope this quick guide to appendicitis was very helpful for you in understanding Appendicitis and its treatment options. Remember, appendicitis can be a severe health issue if left untreated for a longer duration.
So if you or your kid is experiencing the symptoms, consult a specialist immediately. Early diagnosis can eliminate the need for surgery and deliver better results from treatments.
For more information on Appendicitis, feel free to consult our specialists immediately.

Dr. Aditya Kulkarni

MS, DNB, FRCS, MCh (Surgical Gastroenterology & GI Oncology)

Dr. Aditya Kulkarni is a Consultant of Laparoscopic and Robotic Gastrointestinal, Hepato-biliary-pancreatic, and Cancer Surgeon at the Renowned Oasis Surgery Clinic Pune.

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