Appendicitis Treatment Without Surgery

Appendicitis is the inflammation of your appendix, a pouch connected to your large intestine located on the lower-right part of your abdomen. Appendicitis is notoriously treated by surgically removing your appendix. However, in some cases, antibiotics can treat it.

The main symptom of appendicitis is pain in your lower belly region, but you also may experience nausea, fever, and swelling in the area. Read on to learn about possible surgical and non-surgical treatments, including medication, for appendicitis.

Appendicitis Treatment Without Surgery

Even if you are getting surgery for appendicitis, you'll be treated with antibiotics first. However, some cases do not require surgery and can be treated only with antibiotics. This depends on the type of appendicitis you have.

Acute Uncomplicated Appendicitis

Your appendicitis is acute and "uncomplicated" if your appendix has not yet ruptured. Healthcare providers will perform an abdomen CT to determine if your appendicitis is uncomplicated. While surgery may still be necessary, acute uncomplicated appendicitis can possibly be treated with a 10-day antibiotic course.

What To Expect

"While patients with severe abdominal pain should seek medical evaluation promptly, for most patients who are found to have appendicitis, it is uncomplicated and not an emergency," said David Talan, MD, professor of emergency medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

These patients, once placed on antibiotics, usually for 10 days, may have time to choose between surgery or continued antibiotic treatment for appendicitis.

Appendicitis Treatment With Surgery

Surgery has been the standard treatment for appendicitis for decades. Your surgeon will remove your infected appendix during your operation.

Acute Complicated Appendicitis

If your appendix ruptures, you have "complicated" appendicitis. This rupture can cause an infection called peritonitis or a pocket of pus in your abdomen. Both require antibiotics, possibly a procedure to drain the pus, and/or surgery to remove your appendix.

Chronic Appendicitis

Less common, chronic appendicitis is when you have long-standing inflammation or symptoms that go away but come back, or recur. Because it often presents as milder than acute appendicitis, chronic appendicitis is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. However, it's usually treated with surgery.

Surgical Options

Two surgical appendicitis treatment options exist:

• Laparotomy: Also known as an "open" appendectomy, this procedure involves a surgeon removing the appendix through a single incision in the lower right side of the abdomen.
• Laparoscopic appendectomy: This procedure involves multiple, smaller incisions through which the surgeon manipulates a lighted camera and surgical tools to remove the appendix.

What To Expect After Surgery

Most patients make a full recovery after both types of appendicitis surgery. You likely won't have to make any lifestyle changes. You will have to limit physical activity for:

• Three to five days after a laparoscopic appendectomy
• 10 to 14 days after a laparotomy

Possible Complications

Surgery to treat appendicitis is generally safe. However, as with any surgery, complications can occur, including:

• Abdominal adhesions, or scar-like tissue forming inside the abdomen
• Abscess
• Fistula
• Ileus, when your bowel works incorrectly
• Infection of the surgical site
• Small bowel obstruction
  

Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider

If you have appendicitis, consider asking your healthcare provider the following questions:

1. What type of appendicitis do I have? Acute, chronic, uncomplicated, or complicated?
2. Do you recommend antibiotics, surgery, or both?
3. If I start antibiotics, will I still need surgery? When will we know?
4. If I need surgery, do you recommend a laparotomy (open appendectomy) or a laparoscopic appendectomy?
5. What are possible complications?
6. What will my recovery be like? Will I have scarring?
   

Healthcare providers will walk you through all of your options and recommend the best treatment course for your appendicitis.

A Quick Review

Appendicitis is the inflammation of your appendix. It presents as pain in your lower-right abdomen. Appendicitis can be acute or chronic and complicated or uncomplicated. Depending on its type, appendicitis can be treated with just antibiotics or a combination of antibiotics and surgery.

Surgical options include a laparotomy (open appendectomy) or a laparoscopic appendectomy. Antibiotics are usually administered for 10 days. At that point surgery or further antibiotics may be recommended. If you suspect you have appendicitis go to a healthcare provider immediately to avoid rupture or infection from spreading further.