It is too early to change the standard treatment of appendicitis in U.S. adults to initial antibiotic therapy only, rather than surgical removal of the appendix, or appendectomy, authors of a new systematic review study conclude. ...
Dec 17, 2015
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The surgical removal of the appendix and tonsils before the age of 20 was associated with an increased risk of premature heart attack in a large population study performed in Sweden. Tonsillectomy increased the risk by 44% ...
Jun 1, 2011
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Pediatric surgeons can lower health care costs if they remove a young patient's perforated appendix sooner rather than later, according to new study results published in the April issue of the Journal of the American College ...
Apr 2, 2012
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For 130 years, surgery has been the standard treatment for appendicitis—inflammation of the appendix, a short tube extending from the colon.
Mar 9, 2017
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Among patients with uncomplicated appendicitis, antibiotic treatment did not meet a prespecified level of effectiveness compared with appendectomy, although most patients who received antibiotic therapy did not require an ...
Jun 16, 2015
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Children suspected of having appendicitis are more likely to receive CT scans, which involve radiation, if they are evaluated at a general hospital, a new study by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has ...
Dec 27, 2012
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Presence of an appendicolith is associated with a nearly twofold increased risk for undergoing appendectomy within 30 days of initiating antibiotics for appendicitis, according to a study published online Jan. 12 in JAMA ...
Jan 18, 2022
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Using antibiotics as the primary treatment for mild appendicitis does not increase the risk for complications at least in the first year. But other considerations must also be taken into account, say researchers.
Mar 18, 2016
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(HealthDay)—An antibiotics-first approach could be considered for specific patients with appendicitis, according to a case vignette published in the May 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
May 15, 2015
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For patients being treated for uncomplicated acute appendicitis, quality of life (QOL) is similar at seven years after appendectomy or antibiotic therapy, according to a study published online Feb. 19 in JAMA Surgery.
Feb 24, 2020
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An appendectomy (sometimes called appendisectomy or appendicectomy) is the surgical removal of the vermiform appendix. This procedure is normally performed as an emergency procedure, when the patient is suffering from acute appendicitis. In the absence of surgical facilities, intravenous antibiotics are used to delay or avoid the onset of sepsis; it is now recognized that many cases will resolve when treated perioperatively. In some cases the appendicitis resolves completely; more often, an inflammatory mass forms around the appendix, causing transruptural flotation. This is a relative contraindication to surgery.
Appendectomy may be performed laparoscopically (this is called minimally invasive surgery) or as an open operation. Laparoscopy is often used if the diagnosis is in doubt, or if it is desirable to hide the scars in the umbilicus or in the pubic hair line. Recovery may be a little quicker with laparoscopic surgery; the procedure is more expensive and resource-intensive than open surgery and generally takes a little longer, with the (low in most patients) additional risks associated with pneumoperitoneum (inflating the abdomen with gas). Advanced pelvic sepsis occasionally requires a lower midline laparotomy.
There have been some cases of auto-appendectomies, i.e. operating on yourself. One was performed by Dr Kane in 1921, but the operation was completed by his assistants. Another case is Leonid Rogozov who had to perform the operation on himself as he was the only surgeon on a remote Antarctic base.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
