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Appendix surgery (appendicectomy) in Tijuana
Removal of the appendix for acute appendicitis, almost always laparoscopically and almost always as an emergency. It is the commonest abdominal surgical emergency.
Why appendicitis is a race against the clock
The appendix is a small blind tube attached to the start of the large bowel. When its lumen obstructs, bacteria multiply, the wall inflames and internal pressure cuts off the blood supply. If nothing interrupts that, the wall becomes necrotic and perforates, and intestinal contents spill into the abdomen.
That sequence usually takes between 24 and 72 hours. An inflamed, unperforated appendix is removed with a straightforward operation and a recovery measured in days. A perforated appendix with peritonitis means a longer operation, intravenous antibiotics, a prolonged hospital stay and a risk of residual abscess. The difference between those two scenarios is, almost always, how long it took to arrive.
How it is diagnosed
The diagnosis is clinical first: pain that starts around the navel and then localises to the lower right abdomen, loss of appetite, nausea, low-grade fever and rebound tenderness. That combination in a young patient is often enough to go to theatre.
When the picture is atypical — women of childbearing age, older adults, small children, obesity — it is supported by labs and imaging: ultrasound first, and CT when ultrasound is inconclusive. The dual aim is not to remove healthy appendices and, above all, not to miss real appendicitis.
The operation and recovery
Laparoscopic appendicectomy is performed through three small incisions. The appendix is identified, its base and vessel ligated, it is divided and extracted in a bag so as not to contaminate the wall. If there is purulent fluid the cavity is washed and, in some cases, a drain is left.
In uncomplicated appendicitis, discharge is usually at 24 hours with oral analgesia and a progressive diet. In perforated appendicitis the stay lengthens because of intravenous antibiotics. Return to light activity comes in one to two weeks, and physical exertion at three to four.
What the procedure involves
When it is indicated
- Acute uncomplicated appendicitis
- Complicated appendicitis with perforation, abscess or peritonitis
- Right iliac fossa pain with inconclusive imaging and clinical deterioration
- Appendicitis in pregnancy, with adapted management
- Appendiceal phlegmon, with a strategy defined case by case
- Appendiceal tumour discovered on examination of the specimen
Techniques and resources
- Laparoscopic tower
- Endoloop or linear stapler for the appendiceal base
- Retrieval bag
- Irrigation and suction system
- Targeted antibiotics according to findings
Frequently asked questions about appendix surgery
Antibiotic protocols exist for selected uncomplicated appendicitis, but a significant share of those patients present again and end up being operated on. Surgery remains the reference treatment because it resolves the problem definitively. The decision is made with the patient, with the data of their case on the table.
The most telling feature is migration of the pain: it starts diffuse around the navel and then settles in the lower right, and stays there. Gastroenteritis usually gives abundant diarrhoea and diffuse pain that moves around. PAIN THAT SETTLES IN THE LOWER RIGHT, WITH FEVER AND NO APPETITE, NEEDS TO BE SEEN THE SAME DAY.
Yes, with no known limitation. The appendix contains lymphoid tissue and takes part in the bacterial ecosystem of the bowel, but its absence produces no clinically relevant consequences.
Bring your studies and settle the question
One consultation with your ultrasound or CT in hand is worth more than ten internet searches. Book by phone or through the form and you will be told what is there, what it means and what your options are.