Doctors' Answers to "Frequently Asked Questions" - Appendectomy


These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.

Appendectomy
Question: I recently had an appendectomy. I play tennis for my college and am ranked #4 in the nation in doubles. Now I'm out for most of my senior year. I have heard about doctor's doing unnecessary surgery. I had some pain, but not a lot. After, the doctor said my appendix was a little inflamed. Could I be the victim of unnecessary surgery?

Answer: First get a copy of the pathology report. If it is necessary the answer is probably yes. However, appendicitis is a clinical diagnosis and 10-20% of appendices which are removed are normal. This is to avoid the potential rupture by missing a diseased appendix.

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Last modified August 4, 1997