Dr. Deepti Thakkar

What is an Appendectomy? 
An appendectomy (which is sometimes referred to ‘appendicectomy’) is the surgical removal of the organ known as the appendix. Appendectomy is mostly performed as an emergency surgical procedure, when patients suffer from appendicitis. 

How is Appendectomy Performed? 
Appendectomy can be performed both as an open operation as well as laparoscopically. Nowadays it is most commonly performed laparoscopically with small incisions to reduce pain and quicken recovery. 

Conventional Open Appendectomy- 
In the conventional open surgery, the surgeon makes an incision which is about 2.5- 3 inches in length in the lower right section of the abdomen. Once the infected appendix is identified, the surgeon separates the infected appendix from its surrounding tissues and removes it surgically from the cecum (first part of large intestine).

The muscle layers and the skin are sewn together and the incision is closed. 

Laparoscopic Appendectomy (LA)- 
While performing appendectomy laparoscopically, 2 or 3 incisions of 0.5 or 1 cm length are made in the abdomen. The surgeon then passes the camera and special laparoscopy instruments through these openings and the appendix is removed from the cecum and the site of its former attachment is sewed. The infected appendix is removed from the body. In the end, the laparoscopic instruments are removed and the incisions are sutured and closed. During this whole procedure, the intraperitoneal space is filled with medical grade carbon dioxide gas, to inflate the abdomen, which is released after the surgery. 75810

Recovery Time For Appendectomy- 
With the advent of laparoscopy, recovery is very fast and patients can be discharged on the same day. They need to avoid any heavy exercise and oily and spicy food for a few days. They can resume work in a day or two. 

Risks and complications of Appendicitis and Appendectomy 
A routine appendectomy has very few complications. As appendix is not essential for digestion, there is no change in physiology. A ruptured appendix can sometimes give high fever, pus formation and intra-abdominal infection. Hence it is essential to treat appendicitis early. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Piles are a very common and distressing problem. Although not dangerous or life threatening, it can cause a lot of inconvenience to a person and affect their daily routine.  

So what exactly are piles?

We have small veins (blood vessels) in our rectum and anal canal. These veins can start bulging and swelling if too much pressure is applied while passing stool. These swollen blood vessels are called as piles. Due to westernised diets, we have started taking less fibre in our diet, which can result in formation of hard stool. Our hectic schedules also make us drink less water per day which can again result in the same problem. This can make us strain and put pressure on the rectum and form piles. Long hours of sitting, as happens in software employees, can also result in piles. The third trimester of pregnancy also sees many women develop piles due to the pressure placed by the baby’s head on the veins of the rectum.

Piles can give pain while passing stool or bleeding or both. Obviously it can be quite terrifying to see bleeding with motion.  As piles increase, they can slowly bulge outside and can be felt outside by the patient. They can also cause itching. Our rectum and anal canal are very sensitive areas of the body. Any pain in this area can be very severe and inconvenient. Some people may find it difficult to even sit properly due to pain.

However, this problem can be treated with simple measures.

1. Drinking 8-12 glasses of water everyday
2. Eating diet rich in fibre such as fruits, vegetables
3. Leading an active lifestyle
4. Avoiding refined, spicy, fried and non-vegetarian foods.

Treatment of piles is also not difficult.                                                                                                       

Early stage piles can be treated with laxatives, ointments and lifestyle changes. In later stages a simple surgery to close the bulging blood vessel can solve the problem. This is a quick 20min procedure. With the advent of LASER technology, piles treatment can be completely painless. LASER works in the area of rectum which does not have nerves and so patients can go home pain-free. Piles surgery does not require hospital stay. It can be performed as a day care procedure as well.  Higher grade piles can also be removed with laser or conventional surgery.

People hesitate to see their doctor in fear of pain and surgery. However, in this new day and age, piles treatment is simple and effective. So, instead of suffering for months or years, see a surgeon who can easily solve your problem with simple techniques.