Appendectomy

Minimally invasive appendectomy, close to home 

Appendicitis is a common condition that affects nearly 9% of men and 7% of women at some point in their lives. At Reid Health, our general surgeons can treat appendicitis with open surgery, but more often, they perform laparoscopic appendectomies. During a laparoscopic appendectomy, the surgeon makes small incisions and uses special tools to help you recover quickly and feel better with less downtime. We’ve helped adults and children throughout East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio recover from appendicitis with compassionate, comprehensive surgical care. 

What is appendicitis?

The appendix is a small organ on the lower right side of your abdomen (belly). It’s attached to your large intestine. Appendicitis occurs when the appendix becomes inflamed, usually because of an infection, inflammatory bowel disease, a blockage, or another cause.

The first symptoms of appendicitis include pain near the belly button. Although it can feel like a regular stomachache, appendicitis pain typically gets worse and moves to the lower right side of the stomach as it progresses. Other symptoms include:  

• Abdominal pain that gets worse when you move, cough, sneeze, or take deep breaths  
• Abdominal pain that keeps you up at night
• Loss of appetite  
• Mild fever
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea  
• Swollen stomach  

Treatment for appendicitis

Appendicitis requires emergency care. Left untreated, it could cause your appendix to burst. A burst appendix might lead to an infection called peritonitis or an abscess (a painful growth that develops after an infection).  

If your appendicitis is mild, your provider might treat it with antibiotics and recommend surgery only if symptoms don’t improve. People who receive only antibiotics can also develop appendicitis again.

If you need surgery, Reid’s general surgeons offer two options: open and laparoscopic.

Open appendectomy

Open appendectomy involves making one large cut in the lower right side of your stomach, below the belly button. Before surgery, you’ll receive general anesthesia to fall asleep and experience no pain. If necessary, you could receive spinal anesthesia, which involves inserting medicine into your back to numb the lower half of your body and help you fall asleep.  

Your surgeon may choose to perform an open appendectomy in cases where it would be riskier to perform a laparoscopic procedure. Some of these reasons include:

• Severe infection or complications: If the appendix has ruptured, leading to widespread infection or abscess formation, an open approach may allow better access to the affected area for thorough cleaning and removal of infected tissue.
• Difficulty visualizing the appendix: In some cases, anatomical abnormalities, extensive inflammation, or scarring (such as from prior surgeries) may make it difficult to locate and safely remove the appendix laparoscopically.
• Pregnancy: In advanced stages of pregnancy, the enlarged uterus can make laparoscopic access more challenging, and an open procedure may be preferred.

Laparoscopic appendectomy  

Our general surgeons perform minimally invasive laparoscopic appendectomies whenever possible. These are the most common procedures for appendicitis and use smaller incisions than open surgery.

During a laparoscopic appendectomy, your surgeon will make a small incision near your belly button to insert a thin tube called a laparoscope. This tool contains a small video camera and light that allow your surgeon to see your appendix more easily. Your surgeon might also inject carbon dioxide gas into your stomach to make room to view and access your appendix.

The surgeon might need to make additional small incisions to remove the appendix. During this step, your surgeon will use stitches to tie off and remove the organ.

Like other forms of minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic appendectomies often have fewer side effects and allow you to recover faster than open surgery. 

Recovering from an appendectomy

After the procedure is finished, the surgeon will close your incisions using surgical tape, glue, stitches, or staples. You might be allowed to leave the hospital on the day of your surgery, but if your appendix has burst, you could need to stay longer.  

It’s common to experience pain near the surgery site. The carbon dioxide gas can also cause shoulder pain. Additionally, the combination of surgery and anesthesia can cause nausea. These side effects tend to go away within 24 to 48 hours of your procedure.

You might be able to take over-the-counter pain relievers to handle any postsurgical pain. If those aren’t effective, your surgeon might prescribe stronger medicine for a short period.  

Many people recover from a laparoscopic appendectomy relatively soon. You might need to limit physical activity for three to five days, but you can choose to rest longer. You should feel free to go at your own pace and return to daily activities when you can. If your job requires heavy physical labor, check with your surgeon about when you can return to work. Open appendectomy typically involves a longer recovery time.  

You’ll have a follow-up physical exam with your surgeon about one to four weeks after your procedure. We’ll monitor your progress with recovery and detect any complications.