A surgical emergency of an inflamed appendix is called appendicitis. It may lead to severe conditions including the rupture of the appendix. In many cases, appendicitis requires surgical removal of the inflamed appendix with a laparoscopic or open process of appendicitis treatment. This surgical treatment of appendicitis is termed an appendectomy.
This surgery for treating appendicitis is either the open type or the laparoscopic appendicectomy. There are some risks involved with the surgery, yet despite the known risks, numerous procedures are performed to treat any inflamed appendix, as the surgical treatment has a decent prognosis. Let us examine the prognosis and risks of appendectomy or the process of removing an inflamed appendix via open or laparoscopic surgery.
The Process of Removal of an Inflamed Appendix
Before studying the prognosis and risks of treatment of appendicitis via surgery, let us briefly review the procedure to know what an appendectomy involves. Let us see what are the two types, i.e., open and laparoscopic appendectomy.
- Open surgery for removing an inflamed appendix: This traditional procedure can treat appendicitis by making an incision through the skin, passing the underlying tissue and the abdominal wall to reach the appendix.
- Laparoscopy/laparoscopic appendectomy: This advanced treatment procedure for appendicitis involves the use of a laparoscope. In laparoscopic surgery, three small incisions are made in the abdomen through which the laparoscope is inserted and an inert gas pumped gently into the abdominal cavity for separating the abdominal walls from the organs. This facilitates examining the abdomen and other organs and makes laparoscopic surgery of appendicitis less invasive than the traditional method.
Prognosis of Appendectomy
Prognosis of this procedure is based on two parameters, i.e. recovery after the surgery and the mortality linked with appendectomy.
- Prognosis based on recovery: Laparoscopic surgery for treating appendicitis has a better prognosis of recovery in patients. In about 94 percent of cases, no complications or risks are noticed. People with appendicitis recover from the inflammation well with early diagnosis and expert treatment via laparoscopic appendectomy. However, in case there is a rupture in the appendix, the percentage of recovery and complications fall to about 90 percent. The period of recovery in young children is about three weeks following surgery. Patients undergoing the surgery must avoid alcohol as it can create unnecessary complications.
- Prognosis based on mortality in appendicitis with appendectomy: Prognosis of appendectomy based on the mortality rate of patients undergoing the procedure is good. Laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of appendicitis usually has very low mortality rate. It is rare for patients to die while undergoing the procedure or due to it and the rate is only about 1 percent. Death associated with appendectomy in the laparoscopic surgery is correlated with the age of the patient undergoing the procedure.
Risks in Appendectomy
Usually there is very rare involvement of complications and other risks in surgery for appendicitis. One of the most common risks involved in appendectomy is associated with infection. In case of a ruptured appendix during an appendectomy, about 20 percent of patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery face risks of growing abscesses. These potential risks caused by abscesses can be reduced by draining.
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