Appendectomy means removal of the appendix. The most common reason your
doctor might recommend appendectomy is appendicitis, which is inflammation or infection of the appendix. In adults, appendicitis is most commonly caused by a “fecalith”, which is a hard ball of stool that plugs the opening of the appendix, leading to inflammation and infection. Though appendicitis is an infection, it cannot be passed from one person to another. Rarely, appendicitis may be caused by a tumor of the appendix. Every appendix we remove is sent to pathology to rule out cancer. If left untreated, appendicitis can lead to perforation or abscess formation.
Your surgery will be done in an operating room while you are completely asleep. The length of the procedure can vary but is usually 1-2 hours. It is usually done through three or more small incisions with the help of a long camera. We call this laparoscopic surgery.