Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix, which is a small outgrowth in the first part of the colon, called "cecum". Without a particular function known to this day, it could nevertheless have been useful to our ancestors, whose diet was richer in fiber.

Although quite simple, the operation of appendicitis is no longer systematic today due to the progress of diagnosis and progress in means of treatment. The risks of surgery also weigh heavily as surgery is never trivial.

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Appendicitis in detail

Inflammation of the appendix is characterized by severe pain in the right and lower part of the abdomen sometimes accompanied by a fever surge. It is generally more common in women and rarer in people of African descent. Although its cause is not yet well determined, appendicitis is more obstruction than inflammation. But if it is not detected and treated in time, the wall of the appendix can tear and the intestinal contents (a multitude of bacteria) can spread into the abdominal cavity. A serious infection can then result which can put the patient's life at risk. Besides, there is no way to prevent appendicitis and the only definitive treatment remains appendectomy, which consists of the removal of the appendix surgically under general anesthesia.

Both forms of appendicitis

With current means, the diagnosis has improved and interventions are less invasive. Medicine has established that there are two types of appendicitis: simple and complicated. The difference is that the second is accompanied by necrosis and sometimes perforation of the wall of the appendix while the first allows a simple treatment with antibiotics. The scanner makes it possible to diagnose these two forms and thus facilitates the diagnosis. An ultrasound can also offer the same result and offers the advantage of avoiding scanner irradiation in children

For complicated appendicitis, two surgical techniques can be used, either under general anesthesia to open and remove the appendix, or by laparoscopy where a small incision is enough to introduce the instruments with an optical fiber connected to a mini camera to locate. The latter technique has become the most used to guarantee better visibility, reduced scars, and fewer postoperative complications.

An alternative to the operation

With the progress of today's medicine, surgery for appendicitis is no longer mandatory, especially for children. A scientific journal of American surgery has published a study of 77 young people (7 to 17 years old) on the obligation to operate. This study left the choice for parents to decide whether to have surgery or drug treatment.

Other work, such as that of the International Journal of Medicine, also shows that it is possible to stop systematically operating uncomplicated appendicitis. With the accurate report of the CT scan, the differentiation between simple and complicated appendicitis registers a very low error rate. Patients who can be treated with antibiotics thus escape the risks and constraints of an always delicate surgical procedure.