When you are having pain on the right side of your stomach, it may be a symptom of an infected appendix. If the infection is allowed to increase, the pain becomes sharper and will move into the lower right side of your stomach. The time to see your Victorville General Surgeon is at the first sign of pain before the appendix becomes inflamed or ruptures and requires an emergency operation.
Before the operation, your surgeon will explain how the surgery is done, what to expect during recovery, how to care for yourself at home, what type of medication to use for postoperative pain, when to schedule a follow-up office appointment, and when you can resume normal daily activities. Because you cannot drive when you leave the hospital, you must arrange for transportation home.
Appendectomy
Laparoscopic surgery and Open surgery are two ways that an appendectomy is performed. Your surgeon will determine the best approach for your individual situation. An anesthesiologist will give you a sedative before the operation, so you will sleep through the surgery and not feel any pain. An operating staff member places a breathing tube into your windpipe to supply air while you are under the influence of the anesthesia. The anesthesiologist or an operating nurse will monitor your vital signs until the anesthesia wears off.
Laparoscopic Appendectomy:
The surgeon will make several small incisions in the lower right belly area. Then, a thin laparoscope with an attached camera is inserted into one incision so that the surgeon can view the operation site on a screen. Other surgical instruments and a sterile bag are inserted into the other incisions. The surgeon cuts away the appendix and any surrounding bad tissue that is placed in the sterile bag. The bag is removed, and the surgeon examines the tissue to ensure that only healthy tissue remains inside of you. The surgeon uses a sterile fluid to clean and suction out any infected material remaining inside the operation site. The surgeon then sews the remaining muscle layers together, removes the laparoscope and surgical instruments, and closes the incisions with sutures or staples. A sterile bandage is placed over all incisions to prevent postoperative infection. You are taken to a recovery room for observation until the anesthesia wears off. Then, you are moved to your hospital room where you will stay until you’re allowed to go home.
Open Appendectomy:
This procedure follows the same process as the laparoscopic appendectomy with one deviation. The surgeon makes a single three-inch incision that allows room for surgical instruments and the surgeon’s hands. The surgeon performs the remainder of the operation as the laparoscopic surgery described above.
