Appendicitis cannot be treated with conservative methods and requires only surgical intervention. The removal operation is considered to be one of the easiest band operations. For a patient who has appendicitis removed during the operation, the postoperative period is as important as the removal procedure itself.
Appendicitis, the postoperative period of which depends on the form of its inflammation, is of two types: acute and chronic.
Postoperative care: First of all, the patient should be properly taken out of anesthesia. At this time, the patient may experience vomiting. In order to avoid penetration of emetic fluid into the respiratory tract, you need to turn the patient on a healthy side.
During the period of withdrawal from anesthesia, the patient suffers from severe thirst. In the absence of contraindications and attacks of vomiting, the patient is allowed to give boiled water only after he leaves the narcotic state. The initial dose of liquid is 2 to 3 teaspoons, gradually increasing the dose.
If the liquid does not cause nausea, the patient is allowed to eat. The menu in the postoperative period after removal of appendicitis should look like this: in the first two days - liquid porridge, vegetable puree, milk, jelly; on the third day, bread and butter are added; on the fourth day it is allowed to switch to a normal diet.
Eat should be in small portions with equal intervals between meals. Food should be sparing, should refrain from spicy, fatty, smoked, salty foods, as well as from alcoholic beverages.
At the first time of rehabilitation, excessive physical exertion, weight lifting, sex and other physical activities that can affect healing and quick recovery are prohibited.
Therapy: If the patient is diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the postoperative period should be accompanied by the appointment of a two-day course of antibiotic therapy. In some cases, the attack is so mild that antibiotics are administered to the patient only during surgery. After removing the source of the lesion, the need for antibiotics disappears.
Gymnastics: A sedentary lifestyle of the patient in the postoperative period after appendicitis can cause muscle atrophy, impaired lymph and blood flow, congestion in the lungs and other changes in the body.
Patients are usually allowed to get up after 8 hours. But at the initial stage of rehabilitation after surgery, when the patient is still recommended bed rest, in order to prevent such postoperative complications as thrombophlebitis, pneumonia, the formation of adhesions, a therapeutic course of physical education is recommended. It includes exercises for flexion and extension of the legs in the ankle and knee, breathing exercises.
Complications: Acute appendicitis, the postoperative period of which affects the end result of treatment, may be accompanied by complications. The first and most common reason for this can be poor wound healing, in which an inflammatory or purulent process can begin. The process is accompanied by the formation of exudate, and in severe cases, with the formation of a fistula in the intestine. The reason for this is the death of the intestinal walls or stitches poorly applied during the operation.
A complication after removal of the appendix can be the occurrence of sepsis, peritonitis, phlegmon and pulmonary embolism. Another dangerous complication after appendicitis is pylephlebitis. It is an inflammation in the portal vein, accompanied by the formation of pus, spreading small suppurations to the liver. All these diseases are very dangerous for the life of the patient.
The causes of complications may be:
- disruption of the vital organs (cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney, liver);
- the development of complications due to the underlying disease;
- the presence of defects during the operation or the selection of incorrect treatment methods;
- improper care after surgery, violation of the diet, excessive stress.