Appendicitis Surgery

Recovering from major surgery, from heart disease to appendicitis, can be quite a lengthy process. Once the patient has been released from the hospital, the many experiences of dietary and lifestyle changes can be quite an overwhelming, sometimes arduous experience. Caring for the patient during in home recovery can be quite an ordeal on family members. In the weeks following my father's heart attack and quadruple bypass heart surgery, I have developed a number of tools to make the recovery process a little less stressful on the side of the family caregiver and also give the patient a sense of assurance that the ordeal of the surgical procedure can be transformed into a positive life altering event.

One of the most important caregiver tools that I have found helpful is reverse psychology. For example, I asked my father if he wanted some water to drink. He said he didn't. I asked him again an hour or so later, and he again didn't want any. The next time, instead of asking my father if he wanted some ice water, I put a lot of ice in his glass the way he likes it, poured the water, and took it to him and told him that I fixed him a glass of water. He drank every last drop of that water. Patients in recovery, be it hospital recovery, convalescent home recovery, or nursing home facilities, don't like to trouble anyone.

Keeping the patient mentally fit is also an important part of recovery from major surgical procedures. Try to recall memorable events such as childhood birthday parties, family vacations, even other members of the family and friends whom have undergone a similar surgical procedure. These positive reinforcement techniques can help to keep the patient in mental health, but also give them hope for the immediate and distant future following their recovery from their surgical procedure.

Recovering surgical patients don't like to feel left out of their lives. Before having heart surgery, my Father cared for two horses, a garden, and rabbits. Surgical patients feel frustration, worry, even depression when they can't take care of the things they did before surgery. Give the patient an update on the condition of things such as pets, garden vegetables, garden flowers, or even friends in the community. In my dad's case this has shown to be a great tool for recovery both early on in the recovery process, and later in the process.

These are the best tools that I have found for helping a loved one recover and re-enter their life following major surgery.

appendicitis

Appendicitis is caused by the inflammation of the appendix, a small extension off the side of the large bowel. It's more commonly suffered by children rather than adults although it can occur at any age.

Appendicitis is usually caused by infection of, or something like faeces blocking, the appendix. It's not conclusively known why some infections occur in the appendix but one suggestion is bacteria more usually found in the gut, somehow find a way through to the appendix - perhaps due to a weakness in the body's natural defences - and go on to cause the infection and inflammation.

While appendicitis can happen to anyone, male or female and of any age, it does appear more frequently in children.

What are the warning signs & symptoms of appendicitis?

In adults it is often noticed as a steadily worsening pain to the right side of the stomach. The pain can come and go but over a period of hours it tends to worsen. Vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea can occur but not in every instance. The persistent and worsening pain to the right hand side of the lower abdomen is the most common symptom.

Children usually describe a pain in the centre of the abdomen at first which, as in adults, seems to come and go in phases at first. Eventually the pain seems to shift to the lower right side of the abdomen and become more constant and worse. In children a loss of appetite and vomiting can occur as can constipation or diarrhoea. Children usually become feverish, flushed and sometimes display a dry, coated tongue. They often lie in one position due to the pain which can be severe enough to cause some distress to children.

Appendicitis should always be suspected whenever there's severe or prolonged pain in the abdomen and medical help should be called for. Unfortunately a diagnosis of appendicitis can easily get mistaken and estimates say around a third or more operations to remove the appendix are found not to have been caused by appendicitis. Because of the reliance on abdominal pain as the surest symptom, appendicitis is easily confused with other ailments like urinary infection or even indigestion or food poisoning.

What you should do if you suspect appendicitis

If you or your child experience severe abdominal pain for any extended period at all then call medical help. The patient should refrain from eating or drinking until a qualified diagnosis has been confirmed. If appendicitis is diagnosed then urgent surgery usually follows to remove the appendix. The procedure is called an appendicectomy (or appendectomy) and it needs to be carried out quickly before the appendix bursts or perforates which can lead to complications such as peritonitis.

Children usually recover from an appendicectomy in just a few days. As with most kinds of invasive surgery post operative complications such as infection can sometimes occur. If you suspect any such problem always seek medical help as soon as possible.

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