Appendicitis Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Juhu
Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix, a small finger-shaped pouch that hangs off the large intestine in the lower right abdomen. Once it is inflamed and infected it can burst if left alone, so the condition is usually treated as a surgical emergency. The General Surgery department at CritiCare Asia Hospitals offers appendicitis treatment in Juhu, Mumbai. Timely medical care is an essential part of appendicitis care. The pain typically starts around the navel and shifts to the lower right side, often with nausea, fever or a poor appetite. Diagnosis rests on a physical examination and blood tests, with an ultrasound or CT scan where needed, so that appendicitis is not mistaken for other causes of abdominal pain.
What goes wrong
Appendicitis starts when the opening of the appendix gets blocked. The usual causes:
- A small, hardened lump of stool
- Lymphoid tissue that swells after an infection, more often in children and young adults
- Less commonly, a growth in or near the appendix
Once the opening is blocked, bacteria multiply inside, the wall swells, and its blood supply begins to suffer. This condition needs an urgent appendix removal surgery.
How the pain typically unfolds
The pattern is fairly recognisable, though not everyone follows it.
- Dull discomfort around the navel, often mistaken for indigestion
- Over some hours, the pain moves to the lower right side and turns sharper
- Walking, coughing or even a bump in the road makes it worse
- Appetite vanishes; nausea and vomiting follow
- A mild fever, bloating or a change in bowel habit may join in
Children, older adults and pregnant women often present differently. A child may simply seem unwell, refuse food and cry when moved. An older adult might have a dull ache and hardly any fever. In pregnancy the pain can sit higher, because the growing womb pushes the appendix upward. Vague symptoms are a reason to be examined, not to wait. Visit the best general surgeons in Juhu, Mumbai at CritiCare Asia Hospitals for further assistance.
On the way to hospital
Do not eat or drink, in case an operation is needed the same day. Avoid laxatives and enemas, which can do harm when the appendix is inflamed. And do not take sudden relief as a sign of recovery: pain that abruptly eases after being severe can follow a rupture.
If it goes untreated
A ruptured appendix spills infected material into the abdomen, causing peritonitis. Alternatively, the body walls the infection off as an abscess. Either one means a bigger operation, a longer recovery and a real risk to life.
Tests and diagnosis
The surgeon examines the abdomen, looking for tenderness in the lower right and pain that sharpens when pressure is released. Tests then fill in the picture:
- Blood tests for signs of infection
- Urine tests, to rule out a urinary infection or a stone
- Ultrasound, particularly useful in children and women
- CT scan in adults when the diagnosis is not clear-cut
Women of childbearing age are also given a pregnancy test. In most cases, a laparoscopic appendectomy is used to treat appendicitis.
Treatment for Appendicitis
The standard treatment is appendicectomy, removal of the appendix. Laparoscopic surgery through a few small cuts is commonly used. Open surgery is chosen when the appendix has burst, infection has spread widely, or keyhole access is not safe.
In carefully selected, uncomplicated cases, a course of antibiotics may be tried instead, though the surgeon will explain that appendicitis can come back. An abscess sometimes has to be drained before the appendix is removed. Consult our experienced surgeons for laparoscopic appendix surgery in Juhu, Mumbai.
The surgical journey
Before
Blood tests, an anaesthesia assessment, intravenous fluids and antibiotics are started, and you remain nil by mouth. Because most cases arrive as emergencies, all of this happens quickly.
During
Under general anaesthesia, the surgeon detaches and removes the appendix. If infection has spread, the abdomen is washed out before closing.
After
Once awake, you receive pain relief, then start on fluids and light food as you tolerate them, and get up to walk soon after. Keep the wounds clean and dry, and avoid heavy exertion until the surgeon allows it. Report fever, worsening abdominal pain, wound discharge, or repeated vomiting.
Life without an appendix
Most people notice no change in digestion after an appendicitis surgery, and need no special diet or long-term medicines.
Appendicitis Treatment at CritiCare Asia Hospitals, Juhu
Patients with suspected appendicitis are seen by a general surgeon, who examines them and orders the tests needed to reach a clear diagnosis. The surgical, anaesthesia and nursing teams then prepare the patient for acute appendicitis treatment so the operation can go ahead without avoidable delay. Children and pregnant women are assessed with extra attention to how their symptoms differ. After surgery, patients are monitored, given clear instructions for home, and reviewed to check that the wounds are healing. If the appendix has burst or an abscess has formed, the plan is adjusted accordingly. Pain that starts near the navel and settles in the lower right abdomen should be checked the same day. Visit the Department of General Surgery at CritiCare Asia Hospitals for an emergency appendix surgery in Juhu, Mumbai.