Complications of postoperative appendicitis that need to be watched out for

After an appendectomy, you need to rest and recover. However, you may actually experience certain complications after appendectomy. How come, huh? Check out the full answer below.

What is appendicitis?

Appendicitis is swelling and inflammation that makes it painful and triggers an infection of the appendix.

The appendix itself is actually a part of the human body and is not a disease. The organ with the shape of a small thin pouch measuring 5 - 10 cm is the appendix.

When symptoms of appendicitis appear such as loss of appetite followed by flatulence, nausea and vomiting, unable to pass gas, diarrhea or constipation, fever, and pain in the right side of the stomach, immediately see a doctor.

Appendicitis surgery is also recommended by doctors later. Although the removal does not really affect health, there are still side effects of appendectomy that need to be watched out for.

Get to know appendectomy

Appendectomy is a surgical procedure to cut and remove the appendix (appendix). Most of these procedures are performed in an emergency to treat appendicitis (appendicitis).

However, in some cases, cutting and removing the appendix can be done at once during stomach surgery for other diseases. This aims to prevent inflammation of the intestine in the future.

In most people, the appendix becomes inflamed because the tissue is infected by bacteria, so pus can form in the lumen of the appendix.

Bowel obstruction by feces that are too hard, foreign objects, food that does not break down and then builds up, or thick mucus can also cause bacterial infection.

Complications after appendectomy

Basically, appendectomy is not a major operation and the risks are minimal. However, like any other medical procedure, there are still complications that may occur after appendectomy. What are the complications?

1. Infection of the wound

If the wound starts to ooze yellow or pus, or if the skin around the wound becomes red, warm, swollen, or feels more painful, you may have a wound infection.

Any red streak on the skin around the wound could indicate an infection in the system that drains fluid from the tissue, called the lymph system.

This infection can be serious, especially if it is accompanied by fever. If you experience this, contact your doctor immediately for medical treatment.

2.Abscess (pus)

An abscess is a collection of pus surrounded by a tissue wall. Pus formation generally occurs in the area of ​​the appendix that has been removed or in an incision wound.

Pus builds up when your body tries to control the infection. This causes painful bumps and can make you feel unwell.

Abscesses can sometimes be treated with antibiotics. However, in most cases, the pus will need to be drained from the abscess.

This can be done under ultrasound guidance or computerized tomography (CT scan) using local anesthesia and a needle is inserted through the skin.

3. Complications are quite rare

In rare cases, you may experience the following complications after appendectomy. This can be caused by the condition of your body before and after the appendectomy.

However, it can also be caused by negligence of medical personnel during the operation which causes the following conditions.

• Ileus (slow-stopping bowel peristalsis)
• Surgical wounds to organs or structures
• Intestinal gangrene
• Peritonitis (infection in the peritoneal cavity)
• Bowel obstruction

Therefore, it is important for you and your family to discuss in detail about the surgical procedure, side effects, risks, and who will carry out surgery with your doctor.

When you have certain complaints after appendectomy, tell the doctor or nurse immediately.

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