BOBOT JLUIUS C.

OROPEZA FEBRUARY 26, 2011

BSN-3 Mr. Raymond D. Dizon

Journal About
Appendectomy
How Procedure is Performed
Appendectomy is done by a general surgeon as an inpatient surgery under general anesthesia. The
surgery may be performed using an open incision or via laparoscopy.

During a traditional open appendectomy, a small incision (McBurney incision) is made in the abdominal
wall. The incision is made in the lower right side of the abdomen, in the area over the appendix, and the
muscles over the appendix are split or cut. The surgeon then locates the appendix and inspects it. If there
are no complications involving the surrounding tissues, the surgeon separates the appendix from the
abdomen and/or large intestine and then cuts its attachment to the cecum, removing the appendix. The
cecum is then closed with sutures. If a pocket of infection (abscess) has formed, it will be cleansed and
suctioned away by a special instrument (suction irrigator). A tube also may be inserted into the abdomen
to promote drainage from the infected site. The abdominal incision is then closed, and the procedure is
complete.

In most cases, surgeons choose a laparoscopic procedure to remove the appendix in which a tiny video
camera (laparoscope) is inserted into the abdomen through a very small incision. During the laparoscopic
procedure, the surgeon uses the video camera to view the abdominal cavity and its contents. Because
abdominal regions can be seen easily, this technique is especially useful when the diagnosis of
appendicitis is unclear. Specialized surgical tools that can be inserted through tiny incisions are used to
remove the appendix in the same manner as for the conventional open surgical procedure. Although the
laparoscopic approach can take longer to perform, the benefits of laparoscopic surgery include less
postoperative discomfort and quicker recovery time. In the case of a ruptured or perforated appendix, the
open incision method may be preferred because it is associated with fewer incidences of postoperative
abdominal abscesses.

With open or laparoscopic appendectomy, if the appendix has ruptured (perforated appendix), the surgeon
flushes the spilled material (pus) from the abdomen with sterile warm water, and a drain is inserted and
left in place to promote drainage of infected fluids.

Source: Medical Disability Advisor

http://www.mdguidelines.com/appendectomy/how-procedure-is-performed