Treatment of acute and chronic appendicitis

Acute and chronic appendicitis - treatment

Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix (worm-like process of the intestine), which can occur in acute and chronic forms. In case of acute appendicitis, surgery is the main recommendation - treatment is carried out by surgical intervention. The chronic form of this pathology in most cases also involves surgical intervention, but there is no single correct opinion on this issue - many doctors also allow drug prescriptions.

Forms of acute appendicitis

The inflammatory process begins with the mucous membrane of the appendix and only then spreads deep into the walls of this part of the intestine. Depending on the nature and speed of the inflammatory process, four forms of acute appendicitis are distinguished.

1. Catarrhal. Inflammation progresses within 6 hours from the appearance of the first symptoms. The inflammatory process is localized exclusively in the mucous membrane of the appendix. With catarrhal appendicitis, surgery is an unequivocal recommendation.
2. Phlegmonous. The inflammatory process spreads to the entire wall thickness of the appendix, acute phlegmonous appendicitis develops within 6-24 hours from the onset of symptoms. The appendix becomes swollen, and a small amount of pus appears in its lumen. The phlegmonous type is still classified as purulent appendicitis - the clinic will be identical.
3. gangrenous. The inflammatory process spreads as much as possible, penetrates to the abdominal cavity. The appendix is ​​dead. Gangrenous appendicitis, the treatment of which is carried out by its removal, can develop within 24-72 hours from the moment of the first symptoms.
4. Perforative. Inflammation of appendicitis leads to the destruction of the wall of the appendix, the contents of this part of the intestine enter the abdominal cavity. This condition is life-threatening, as peritonitis develops.

Operative treatment of acute appendicitis

Before sending a patient with signs of inflammation of the appendix to the operating table, the doctor must conduct an urgent examination. First of all, an ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity is recommended. Ultrasound during appendicitis helps not only to establish the fact of progression of the inflammatory process, but also to determine the specific type of this pathology. For example, with catarrhal appendicitis, the doctor will see swelling of the mucous membrane of the appendix, but the directly examined section of the intestine will not have any damage or visible pathological changes. But peritonitis (appendicitis will not be differentiated on ultrasound at all) can be seen as the presence of foreign contents in the abdominal cavity.

Operative intervention in the case of an acute inflammatory process in the appendix is ​​the only correct method of treatment. Moreover, doctors never waste time conducting a full examination of the patient, because acute gangrenous appendicitis can rapidly develop, the treatment of which will be difficult and long, and in some cases such development of the disease ends with the death of the patient.

The operation can be carried out by two methods.

1. Classic surgical. The doctor works with instruments, performs a full-fledged dissection and removal of the inflamed part of the intestine.
2. Laparoscopic. For the operation, special tools are used to reduce the trauma of the operation, eliminate the possibility of bleeding and shorten the rehabilitation period for the patient as much as possible.

Laparoscopy of appendicitis is performed when the patient seeks medical help at the initial stage of the development of the inflammatory process - for example, with catarrhal appendicitis. In some cases, laparoscopy can be used to remove the appendix in a chronic form of the disease.

Complete information about the treatment of this pathology and how much appendicitis surgery costs can be found on our website Dobrobut.com.

Treatment of chronic appendicitis

There is no certain single tactic for the treatment of chronic appendicitis, but most experts recommend performing operations and removing the problematic area of ​​the intestine. There are several unequivocal indications for surgical intervention during the diagnosis of chronic appendicitis

• there are pronounced adhesion and/or cicatricial changes of the appendix;
• a woman in the first trimester of pregnancy turned to the doctor.

Removal of appendicitis by laparoscopy is a minimally invasive method that is almost always used during the chronic course of the considered inflammatory process. Very rarely, the surgeon will perform an open operation (classical surgery) - for example, if it is necessary to examine the organs of the abdominal cavity and the abdominal cavity itself for the spread of inflammation. But it is the minimally invasive method of treatment that belongs to the priorities:

• the price of surgery for appendicitis is quite affordable;
• the rehabilitation period is shortened as much as possible - the patient is discharged from the hospital already on the 3rd day;
• cases of complications are practically excluded - according to statistics, they occur in 0.5% of patients.

The operation to remove appendicitis is performed under general or epidural anesthesia, but when choosing the type of anesthesia, the doctor must take into account the presence of general pathologies - for example, with cardiovascular diseases, brain diseases, oncology, general anesthesia is prohibited.

An acute or chronic inflammatory process in the appendix necessarily requires medical intervention. Treatment of appendicitis with folk methods, as well as taking painkillers, is unacceptable, as it can lead to complications of the inflammatory process and fatal consequences.

Related services:
Ultrasound studies
Surgical operations