Stages of the postoperative period after appendicitis

Postoperative period after removal of appendicitis is necessary before a person can return to normal life.

From the article you will learn how long the recovery period after the operation lasts and what rules must be followed to ensure that the body returns to normal as quickly as possible.

Possible complications

operation( laparoscopy) to remove appendicitis, although not considered to be very serious and rarely threatened fatal, but it can give a number of complications that need to be taken into account.

most dangerous complication during appendectomy can be called a pulmonary embolism, which occurs due to the separation of clot from the damaged vein and blockage of the lung arteries.

This condition entails an instant death, but, fortunately, is very rare.

Another possible complication is blood loss, which can begin because of damage to a large vessel or poorly applied joints.

Often after surgery to remove the appendix in patients experiencing problems with the work of the bladder and intestines, such as urinary retention, bloating and so on. They develop due to the effects of muscle relaxants, which are used during the operation.

Some patients may have a purulent process after removal of the appendix, if the place of surgery or the wound left after it has been poorly treated by a doctor.

In rare cases, if appendicitis is accompanied by inflammation and gangrene, sepsis can begin, death of tissue, peritonitis - complications such as dangerous for human life and require urgent medical attention. By

another possible complications which carries laparoscopy, include violation respiratory function, which may lead to hypoxia, as well as the formation of fistulas and problems with intestinal permeability, that are caused by adhesions in the abdominal cavity.

These complications occur during or immediately after surgery, but there are other pathologies that may appear some time after removal of the appendix.

These include, for example, inguinal hernia - it can occur during the restoration of abdominal muscles.

Most often, it occurs because of excessive physical exertion, which doctors advise to abstain in the first few months after the operation.

In addition, a specialized bandage can minimize the risk of a hernia.

The process of restoring the body

Restoration of the body begins already in the first hours after the laparoscopy was performed.

First and foremost, the doctor must make sure that the removal of appendicitis has passed without complications, there is no purulent or gangrenous process and the seams are applied correctly.

In case of complications, if the appendicitis was purulent or gangrenous, patients are usually given antibiotics, which is a good prevention of bacterial infection.

It usually takes no more than 2 days.

begin to move the patient is allowed not earlier than after 8 hours after appendectomy, but heavy exercise and abrupt movement prohibited, t. K. This can lead to a discrepancy sutures after surgery.

Because the risk of developing complications is quite high in the postoperative period, doctors recommend taking measures to prevent them.

For example, to reduce the risk of pneumonia and the formation of adhesions, respiratory gymnastics will help, and foot movements in the ankle and knee joints are effective against thrombophlebitis.

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It's impossible to say exactly how long the recovery of an organism takes after removing an appendix, because it depends on the characteristics of the human body.

This process is most simple in healthy people who have experienced an acute attack of appendicitis - on average, the postoperative recovery period takes them no more than 4 weeks.

In patients with internal diseases, overweight, elderly and young children( up to 10 years), recovery may take longer - up to 2 - 2.5 months, but it is only the doctor who can tell exactly how long rehabilitation will last.

Restoration can be delayed even if the patient has been diagnosed with purulent or gangrenous appendicitis, during the operation or after it there were complications - in this case, their preliminary elimination of problems is required, and only after that the body will be able to completely recover.

To speed up recovery after surgery, you can take independent measures, but before this you should always consult with your doctor.

As a rule, traditionally, doctors advise the following measures that help to bring the body back to normal:

• not too long walks( about half an hour);
• doing exercises or other physical exercises, visiting the pool( but only after the postoperative scar has formed on the body);
• wearing a bandage( this is especially indicated for persons engaged in active physical activity and obese);
• begin sexual activity not earlier than 2 weeks after the operation;

It should be understood that these measures will be effective only if the patient has not been diagnosed with purulent and gangrenous appendicitis affecting other organs, and the laparoscopy itself was without complications.

This is why, before starting an independent recovery after appendicitis, you should visit a specialist who will tell you how best to bring the body back to normal and how long it will take in your particular case.

Nutrition rules

In the period immediately after the end of the operation, food intake is contraindicated. As a rule, the patient develops thirst in a few minutes after the end of laparoscopy.

It is allowed to give him some water, but you need to drink in small portions and only clean water at room temperature, without gas. If the first intake of water does not cause vomiting in a person, the volume of liquid can be increased.

In the first 8 - 12 hours after the operation the patient should refrain from food, this is important as with appendicitis with complications, and without.

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If, during or after surgery, a person has had any complications, the abstinence period from food can be increased to several days.

To not load the stomach and intestines, during the recovery period after appendicitis it is very important to follow a diet.

In the first days of the recovery period, a person should eat only liquid food, while you can not refuse to eat, even if the patient does not have an appetite, since it is very important to restore the normal functioning of the stomach and intestines.

If the patient can not eat independently, then the medical staff will help him.

On the first and second day after surgery the patient's diet should consist of liquid cereals and vegetable puree. From drinks, in addition to water, you can also use jelly and milk.

In the following days, the diet can be expanded with black bread and butter.

Already on the fourth or fifth day after the operation, if no complications are revealed, a person can switch to the usual diet, but remember that heavy and harmful food can lead to complications, so it is better to refuse it.

Among the acceptable products that should be introduced in the menu during the recovery period: soups with low-fat broth, cereals, sour-milk products, fresh vegetables, fruits and berries, dried fruits, honey, low-fat meat and fish sorts steamed.

As a rule, the period of recovery of patients after removal of appendicitis is without complications, the most important thing is to follow the doctor's advice, avoid physical exertion and eat right, then the pain and other discomfort after the operation will disappear pretty quickly.

It's only the doctor who can say exactly how much recovery will take after the operation.