Question and Answers related to Appendicitis by Dr. Nitish Jhawar

Dr. Nitish Jhawar is answering questions related to Appendicitis in Times of India 1Q. My 15 yrs. old had sudden severe pain in his abdomen last night I gave him some medicine he felt better but now complaining pain in right side abdomen my GP feels it may be appendicitis is it correct? A. The classical pain in appendicitis starts in the whole abdomen and then it shifts to the right side if the pain is persisting the blood test and sonography will help clinch the diagnosis. 2Q. In a diagnosed case of appendicitis is surgery mandatory? A. If the signs, symptoms, and investigations are suggestive of acute appendicitis then surgery is the only treatment and it should be done as early as possible . 3Q. my daughter is 22 admitted with right sided pain in a hospital the Sonography is not showing appendicitis but pain and fever are there can we do something to be sure about the diagnosis? A. Sonography is a first line investigation especially in females as it rules out ovarian problems which may cause similar pain, CT scan of the abdomen in almost conclusive in such cases & is highly recommended. 4Q. is Laparoscopy safe for appendectomy or should I go for open surgery? A. Laparoscopy has a definite advantage over open surgery as we can examine the whole abdomen by moving camera inside the abdomen, moreover, the tip of the appendix is not fixed in its location so almost all types of the appendix may be tackled in this way. open surgery may be required if anatomy inside is not clear or if there is a lump formation due to a neglected appendicular infection. 5Q. my colleague underwent appendectomy but was in the hospital for 15-day post surgery with a tube coming out of his abdomen ,is it normal to have such a long recovery time? A. Acute appendicitis is a surgical emergency if the appendix is blocked due to hardened fecal matter called fecalith it may rupture leading to the infection called peritonitis if neglected for long then it may take longer to heal and patient may suffer more like your colleague . 6Q. I have been advised laparoscopy appendectomy by my surgeon how soon I can resume my daily routine following that? A. Laparoscopy appendectomy is a safe simple and quick surgery, but a lot depends on the condition of the appendix, in a standard case it is just one day stay in the hospital and one can resume within 3 to 5 days. 7Q. I am little scared to lose a part of my body will I have long term digestion problem? A. Appendix is a vestigial organ so it doesn’t have any function in the human body its removal will not have any long-term effect on digestion per se.