Recovery from Appendix Surgery

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When a patient is suffering from appendicitis, they need a surgery called appendectomy as treatment. This disease occurs when your appendix starts to inflame and to cause pain. If you don’t rush to the hospital to get the treatment, this disease can take your life. It is because the appendix can burst in your abdomen, which infects your other organs.

This surgery is usually an emergency treatment, but it’s common and typically don’t have side effects. This surgery requires removing your appendix. This organ is a small pouch that doesn’t have any important function in your body. However, it gets infected or blocked by bacteria, stool, and foreign bodies, and can turn into a problem.

After the operation, the patient usually goes back to their home on the same day or after a few days. The recovery from appendix surgery usually takes a few weeks, and you can go back to your regular regime.

Recovery from Appendix Surgery

Your surgeon treats your appendix either by open surgery or laparoscopic surgery. The incisions made in these methods leave scars on your belly that usually fade away with time.

After the surgery, you may feel tired and weak for many days when you return home. Your abdomen can swell, and you may experience pain. If you undergo laparoscopic surgery, you may feel pain in your shoulder for around 24 hours. Patients also feel sick and have diarrhea, gas, constipation, or a headache. These feelings typically go away in some days.

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Recovery from appendix surgery typically doesn’t take many days, and recovery times depend on the surgical technique chosen. In the case of laparoscopic surgery, patients can return to their normal routine after 1 to 3 weeks, whereas open surgery takes 2 to 4 weeks to get fully recovered. If your appendix burst, you can have a drain in your cuts (incision).

The human body works fine without an appendix. Moreover, the patient doesn’t require making changes in their lifestyle and diet.

Will You Feel Pain After Recovery?

Yes, the feeling of pain is common after the surgery. You may feel pain near the incision spot and in your abdomen. You may also feel pain sensations in your shoulders. It occurs due to the carbon dioxide inflated in your body during the surgery. However, the shoulder pain typically goes away in 24 to 48 hours.

You can use ice to relieve the pain, but ask your nurse or doctor about the correct way of applying. Your doctor may also prescribe you a small quantity of narcotic pain medicine to give you relief. Many people recover without them, but some patients need narcotics for some days.

Some people also feel sick to the stomach or vomit after their operation. It happens because of the surgery and anesthesia. But you should overcome this problem in a day or two. Consult your doctor if you keep feeling sick or vomiting.

What Activities Can You Do After Recovery?

After recovery from appendix surgery, a person can become active according to their body strength. The surgeon also suggests walking. You can also use stairs on the day of your operation. Your doctor will remove your bandages the very next day of your surgery, and you are free to take a shower. Moreover, you will feel better each day after you get discharged. If you don’t feel recovery, then call your doctor.

You can start your regular regime after a week, but you need to avoid strenuous activities. If your work includes intensive activities, like heavy lifting, then ask your doctor when you will be able to go back to your job. Moreover, if you are not taking narcotic pain medicines, and don’t feel any pain, you can drive after 24 hours you have taken anesthesia.

However, patients need more time to recover if they receive open surgery. Your doctor will suggest you the time when you can go back to your routine.

Bottom Line

As you have learned, recovery from appendix surgery is not usually painful and doesn’t take an extended period. The surgery is also simple. The only reason for the horror of the appendix surgery is the appendix itself. Mostly, people show symptoms suddenly, which can lead to the eruption of the appendix. If the person doesn’t undergo surgery immediately, it can be life-threatening. This is why you need to treat your appendix as early as possible.

Contact us at Lenox Hills Surgeons, if you are looking for the best surgeons in town. We have a dedicated team of surgeons who has years of experience in treating the appendix. You can visit our website or call us on 646-846-1136 to schedule an appointment.