How long does appendectomy surgery take

If your child has a fever higher than Also call the doctor if your child has:. If your child has any special needs or health issues you feel the doctor needs to know about, please call the Division of Pediatric General and Thoracic Surgery at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh before the follow-up visit and ask to speak with a nurse.

It is important to notify us in advance about any special needs your child might have. Pittsburgh, PA Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:. In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region. For general information and inquiries , please call To make an appointment , please call from 7 a.

Monday through Friday. Share a comment, compliment or concern. Tell us what you think about our website - send an email to feedback chp. With m y CHP, you can request appointments, review test results, and more.

To pay your bill online, please visit UPMC's online bill payment system. Support the hospital by making a donation online , joining our Heroes in Healing monthly donor program , or visiting our site to learn about the other ways you can give back.

Our Sites. Patient Procedures. Laparoscopic Appendectomy At UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh , we believe parents and guardians can contribute to the success of this surgery and invite you to participate. Fast Facts about Laparoscopic Appendectomy Appendectomy is an operation to remove the appendix when it has become inflamed; an inflamed appendix is called appendicitis uh-pen-di-SIGH-tus.

Appendicitis must be treated with surgery right away; if left untreated, the appendix could rupture burst and cause a life-threatening or fatal infection. The surgery will take about 1 hour. Your child will most likely go home within 24 to 36 hours after the surgery. If there is infection from the appendix bursting, he or she will be in the hospital from 5 to 7 days.

What is Laparoscopic Appendectomy? Preparing for the Surgery Most patients who need a lap appendectomy enter the hospital through the Emergency Department and are taken to surgery within a few hours. Going to Sleep As the parent or legal guardian, you will be asked to sign a consent form before the anesthesia is given.

If your child is very scared or upset, the doctor may give a special medication to help him or her relax. This medication is flavored and takes effect in about 10 to 15 minutes. If you wish, you may be allowed to go with your child to the room where the surgery will be done and stay as the sleep medication is given.

Your child may choose a favorite scent to flavor the air flowing through the mask. There are no shots or needles used while your child is still awake. Older children may choose between getting their medication through the mask or directly into a vein through an intravenous IV line. When your child has fallen asleep, you will be taken to the waiting room. They will switch if open surgery is the safest option for you. Your surgeon might not know this until after the laparoscopy starts.

They will use their best judgment about the safest surgery for you. Complications of laparoscopic appendectomy do not happen often. They can include bleeding, infection in the surgery area, hernias, blood clots, and heart problems. A hernia is a hole that allows a small amount of your gut intestine or other tissue to bulge through the muscles that cover it.

You should also know that any surgery has the risk of hurting other body parts. This is not likely, but it is possible. Appendix surgery could hurt nearby areas such as the bladder, large intestine colon , or small intestine. You might need another surgery if this happens. This may require further treatment.

Most complications from appendectomy are rare, which means they almost never happen. If you are concerned about any possible complications, ask your surgeon. You may go home the day you have your surgery, or you might stay in the hospital overnight.

You need to be able to drink liquids before you go home. If the appendix had already perforated burst , you may be in the hospital for a longer period of time. You will feel some pain after surgery. Pain at the incision sites and in your abdomen is common. You might also have pain in your shoulders. This is from the carbon dioxide put into your abdomen during the operation. The shoulder pain should go away in 24 to 48 hours.

You can take non-prescription medications to relieve pain, unless your doctor tells you not to take over-the-counter medications. Putting ice on your incisions can also help. Ask your doctor or nurse about the correct way to use ice. Your surgeon might prescribe a small amount of narcotic pain medicine to help you with pain.

Many people recover from surgery without taking any narcotic pain medicine, but some will need narcotics for a few days. If you have questions about pain after surgery, ask the surgeon or your nurses. They should be able to tell you how long the pain will last and what to expect. You might feel sick to your stomach nauseated or throw up vomit after your surgery. Having surgery and anesthesia can make this happen.

Some common symptoms of appendicitis are nausea, vomiting, constipation and pain. The pain is initially felt in the centre of the abdomen and later moves to become a sharper pain in the right lower abdomen. The area is tender to the touch. Occasionally, some of these symptoms may be absent and it becomes necessary to investigate the abdominal cavity to make a diagnosis.

Appendicitis occurs when the appendix is blocked and becomes infected due to an invasion of intestinal bacteria. There is no single cause, but appendicitis may be due to:. If appendicitis is left untreated, it may cause the appendix to rupture burst. If the appendix ruptures, the infected contents flow into the abdominal cavity. This can cause a much more serious medical emergency known as peritonitis, which is inflammation of the membranes lining the abdominal wall and organs.

Without prompt treatment, peritonitis can be life threatening. Surgery is the preferred treatment for appendicitis. Delaying the operation in the hope that the appendix will 'settle down' only increases the risk of suffering a ruptured appendix. Once in hospital, your temperature, pulse, breathing pattern and blood pressure will be charted. If the surgeon suspects your appendix shows signs that it may rupture, you will be taken to the operating theatre as soon as possible.

Where the diagnosis is less clear, further examination using methods such as CT scans or ultrasound and blood tests may be needed before a decision to operate can be made. The type of operation you have will depend on how severe your appendicitis is.

The surgeon will discuss your options with you. If there is anything you want to know or are not clear about, it is important to ask your doctor or surgeon to explain it in terms you can understand. A laparoscopic appendectomy may need to become open surgery if the appendix has ruptured.

Once the appendix is accessed by either open or laparoscopic surgery, the blood vessels that supply it are clamped and the appendix is cut and removed. In laparoscopic appendectomy, the appendix is removed through one of the small 'keyhole' incisions. If your appendix ruptures and you develop peritonitis, you will have antibiotics prescribed. Your surgeon will need to drain out the infected material and disinfect your abdominal cavity.

A nasogastric tube feeding tube through the nose may need to be inserted into your stomach for a day or two, and intravenous fluids will be administered into a vein in your arm. You can expect a longer hospital stay. All surgery carries some degree of risk. One of the most common complications following appendectomy is infection.

Around 20 per cent of people who have a ruptured appendix develop an abscess ball of pus within the abdominal cavity about two weeks or so after the appendectomy. These abscesses must be surgically drained. Another common type of infection following appendectomy is infection of the wound.