The appendix is a part of the intestine that is also called the cecum and has no known function in the body. Some experts think that this part of the intestine helps digestion and the immune system.
What is Appendicitis?
Although the function of the appendix in the body cannot be determined, it has been observed that there is no adverse effect when it is removed from the body. However, inflammation of this organ causes appendicitis, which can result in death if left untreated. This common problem is inflammation of the appendix, which looks like a finger-shaped sac protruding from the colon on the lower right side of the abdomen. Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency in the world, with a risk rate of 6-8% in men and 6-9% in women.
Appendicitis usually manifests suddenly and requires urgent intervention. Appendicitis, which is caused by inflammation of the appendix, is quite painful and the patient may have a high fever. It causes unbearable pain in the abdomen. In cases where emergency intervention cannot be performed, it endanger the patient's life.
What are the Symptoms of Appendicitis?
Appendicitis typically presents with a faint pain around the navel. Within a few hours, the pain intensifies in the lower right side of the sac and continues in a constant, severe manner. Applying pressure to this area, coughing, sneezing or walking will increase the severity of the pain. It is probably much deeper and more painful than any pain experienced before. The pain comes on suddenly and is so severe that it even wakes the patient from sleep. Other symptoms of appendicitis include:
- Weakness,
- Anorexia,
- Nausea,
- Constipation or diarrhea,
- Low fever and flushing,
- Vomiting,
- Gas pain,
- Swelling in the abdomen,
- There is a feeling of relief if defecation is done .
What are the Causes of Appendicitis?
Acute appendicitis occurs as a result of the obstruction of the appendix. Don't tolerate this blockage n food residues, seeds of some fruits, foreign bodies and hardened (petrified) stool called fecalid. Rarely, tumors in the area may cause obstruction of the appendix. When this blockage occurs, the appendix fills with mucus and swells. The continued production of this mucus results in increased pressure in the lumen and additional walls. The increased pressure results in thrombosis and occlusion of small vessels and cessation of lymphatic flow.
Spontaneous recovery after this point is very rare. As the occlusion of blood vessels progresses, appendicitis becomes ischemic and then necrotic. Bacteria that have formed begin to leak out of the walls. As a result of all these, the rupture of the appendix is inevitable.
Some harmful parasites are also known to cause appendicitis. In addition, as a result of infection in the digestive tract, the lymph tissue in the walls of the appendix may swell. In addition, in inflammatory diseases of the intestine, a blow to this area can also cause the appendix to burst. All these complications in the body cause the symptoms mentioned above.
How to Diagnose Appendicitis?
If the doctor suspects appendicitis, first of all, he performs a manual examination. In this examination, the patient lies on his back on a stretcher and the doctor asks the patient to open the aching area. Pressure is applied to the aching area by hand and it is withdrawn suddenly. If a sudden pain occurs in the lower right abdomen of the patient as a result of this movement, the diagnosis is mostly appendicitis. Depending on the result of the physical exam, the doctor may order one or more tests to check for signs of appendicitis or to differentiate the symptoms from other potential causes.
There is no single test for diagnosing appendicitis. If the symptoms found do not indicate other diseases, the doctor may consider the symptoms as a sign of appendicitis. The doctor may order a complete blood count to check for signs of infection. To perform this test, a certain amount of blood is taken and the blood is examined in a laboratory setting. Appendicitis is often accompanied by bacterial infection. Infections in the urinary tract or other abdominal organs can also produce symptoms similar to appendicitis. Urine testing to evaluate signs of urinary tract infection or kidney stones can be made.
The type of pregnancy located outside the uterus, called ectopic pregnancy in women, can be confused with appendicitis in some cases. It occurs when a fertilized egg implants in a fallopian tube in place of the uterus. This too is a medical emergency. A doctor who suspects pregnancy may order a pregnancy test. Urine and blood samples may be taken for this test. Ultrasound can also be used to detect where the fertilized egg attaches. Also, in women, an ovarian cyst or another condition may show the same symptoms as appendicitis. In such cases, the doctor may perform a pelvic examination to examine the reproductive organs.
In addition to all these scans, abdominal ultrasound, abdominal x-ray, abdominal CT scan and abdominal MRI scan can also be used to diagnose appendicitis.
What are Appendicitis Treatment Methods?
Appendicitis treatment is usually based on the inflamed organ. occurs by surgical removal. In cases where infection may prevent surgical intervention, antibiotic therapy can be administered primarily. The operation can be performed with an open surgical method with an incision of approximately 5 to 10 cm. Apart from this, laparoscopic surgery can also be performed by opening several abdominal incisions. In this surgery, the surgeon sends a camera to the abdominal cavity through the incisions in the abdomen and removes the infected organ with special medical instruments. In general, it is seen that laparoscopic surgery is preferred because it heals faster, is less painful and has less wound opening. In fact, this method is mostly used in elderly patients and patients with obesity. However, the laparoscopic method is not suitable for every patient. If the appendix is ruptured and the infection has spread to other areas, open surgery should be used to clean the abdominal cavity. After appendectomy surgery, the patient is kept under control in the hospital for a few days. If the appendix has ruptured before the procedure and is surrounded by an abscess, the abscess can be drained by inserting a tube into the abscess from the abdomen. Appendectomy is performed a few weeks after the infection is brought under control.
What should be considered after appendectomy?
After appendectomy, the patient's wound healing and digestive system functions return to normal, and the patient is discharged from the hospital with recommendations. e is sent. These recommendations are:
- The patient should not lift heavy. Heavy lifting leads to hernia formation at weak points, as the newly operated tissues will be unstable to the tensile force. For this reason, it is necessary to avoid heavy work until the deep tissues heal. It should be kept in mind that the risk of strain and bleeding reduces the success of the surgery. The patient should suspend any activity that he or she may have difficulty in before completing the 1-2-week rest period. Water should never be touched to open wounds after surgery and the incision area should be protected from infection.
- Good suture care ensures rapid wound healing. For this purpose, open or closed dressing is applied to protect the area sterile (germ-free) at the specified intervals. The dressing is changed at regular intervals and the discharge and/or odor from the wound is monitored. In some types of sutures, the suture dissolves spontaneously in the tissue and does not need to be removed.
- Sudden and compelling movements should be avoided as post-surgery mobility will be limited.
- After the surgery, vegetables and vegetables to meet the vitamin and mineral needs of the patient should be avoided. fruit consumption is essential. In addition, meat, eggs, fish, etc. to meet the need for calcium and protein. products must be consumed. There is no food limitation, but the most important point to be considered is to stay away from harmful habits such as a balanced diet and smoking and alcohol.
- Painkillers are mostly used after the surgery. In this regard, the treatment should be continued according to the recommendations of the physician.
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