AppendicitisSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Appendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition in which your appendix gets inflamed. The appendix is a small pouch attached to the end of the large intestine.
Appendicitis is a very common reason for emergency surgery. The problem most often occurs when the appendix becomes blocked by feces, a foreign object, a tumor or a parasite in rare cases.
The symptoms of appendicitis can vary. It can be hard to detect appendicitis in young children, older people, and women of childbearing age.
The first symptom is often pain around the belly button or mid upper abdomen. Pain may be minor at first, but becomes more sharp and severe. You may also have a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and a low-grade fever.
The pain tends to move into the right lower part of your belly. The pain tends to focus at a spot directly above the appendix called McBurney point. This most often occurs 12 to 24 hours after the illness starts.
Your pain may be worse when you walk, cough, or make sudden movements. Later symptoms may include:
- Chills and shaking
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Hard stools
- Nausea and vomiting
Most of the time, a surgeon will remove your appendix as soon as you are diagnosed.
If a CT scan shows that you have an abscess, you may be treated with antibiotics first. You will have your appendix removed after the infection and swelling have gone away.
The tests used to diagnose appendicitis are not perfect. As a result, the operation may show that your appendix is normal. In that case, the surgeon will remove your appendix and explore the rest of your abdomen to check for other causes of your pain.
Johns Hopkins All Children's Outpatient Care, St. Petersburg
Dr. Chandler is chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery and the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship Program Director at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. She joined the medical staff in 2008, became interim chief in 2020 and was named full-time chief in 2021. She also is an associate professor of Surgery at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Chandler’s clinical and research areas of interest are minimally invasive surgery including pectus excavatum, and pediatric cancer surgery. She is a member of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Chandler was named Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital physician of the year in the 2017 Johns Hopkins Medicine Clinical Excellence Awards. Dr. Chandler earned her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, where she completed her general surgical residency. She completed a research fellowship in surgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, and was principal investigator for a grant that focused on overcoming chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. She also completed a fellowship in pediatric surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, with training in laparoscopic and advanced miniature access surgery. Dr. Chandler is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Appendicitis. Her top areas of expertise are Appendicitis, Pectus Excavatum, Gangrene, Appendectomy, and Endoscopy.
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
Dr. Peter Minneci grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and did all his training in the northeast. After medical school at NYU, he worked at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and did his surgical training in Boston and Philadelphia. Dr. Minneci also devotes time to clinical research to continually improve treatment plans and patient outcomes. I really enjoy working with children. They are an embodiment of joy, hope and resilience. I strive to improve pediatric surgical care so that I can provide the best outcome at the highest value to everyone involved.My areas of expertise include:Abdominal MassesAnti-Reflux SurgeryBreast DisordersColorectal disordersCongenital anomaliesExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)Gallbladder DiseaseHernias and HydrocelesIntestinal FailureLung masses/lesionsMinimally invasive surgeryPilonidal DiseaseWound Care I approach problems through the perspective of my patients and their families, so I can work through situations in a way that best fits the family’s needs. I also break down complex processes to make them more manageable and approachable. Dr. Minneci is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Appendicitis. His top areas of expertise are Appendicitis, Pilonidal Sinus Disease, Tracheoesophageal Fistula, Appendectomy, and Oophorectomy.
Office
Kuojen Tsao is a Pediatric Surgeon in Katy, Texas. Dr. Tsao is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Appendicitis. His top areas of expertise are Appendicitis, Myelomeningocele, Hernia, Appendectomy, and Pancreaticoduodenectomy.
Most people recover quickly after surgery if the appendix is removed before it ruptures.
If your appendix ruptures before surgery, recovery may take longer. You are also more likely to develop problems, such as:
- An abscess
- Blockage of the intestine
- Infection inside the abdomen (peritonitis)
- Infection of the wound after surgery
Contact your provider if you have pain in the lower-right portion of your belly, or other symptoms of appendicitis.
Summary: Type: prospective observational multicenter trial. Population of interest: adult patients undergoing laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis. Hypothesis : laparoscopic lavage during laparoscopic appendectomy is a practice that should be used in selected patients according to the intraperitoneal grade of contamination and grade of appendicitis. Nonregulated use of laparoscopic lavage canno...
Summary: PHASE II-III CLINICAL TRIAL TO EVALUATE THE SAFETY, EFFECTIVENESS AND EFFICIENCY OF DISCHARGE TO OUTPATIENT SURGERY IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE GANGRENOUS APPENDICITIS UNDERGOING EMERGENCY SURGERY.
Published Date: April 21, 2025
Published By: Todd Eisner, MD, Private practice specializing in Gastroenterology in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Florida at Gastroenterology Consultants of Boca Raton. Affiliate Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic University School of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Carlberg DJ, Himelfarb NT. Acute appendicitis. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 79.
Expert Panel on Gastrointestinal Imaging:, Garcia EM, Camacho MA, et al. ACR appropriateness criteria right lower quadrant pain-suspected appendicitis. J Am Coll Radiol. 2018;15(11S):S373-S387. PMID: 30392606 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30392606/.
Richmond B. The appendix. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 51.
Rosenthal MD, Sarosi GS. Appendicitis. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 120.
Sifri CD, Madoff LC. Appendicitis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 78.