Laparoscopic Appendectomy (Appendix Removal)
Keyhole surgery to take out an inflamed appendix before it bursts, usually with a night or two in hospital and desk work again in about a week.
- Surgery duration
- 45 to 90 minutes
- Anaesthesia
- General
- Hospital stay
- 1 to 2 days, longer if it burst
- Recovery
- 1 to 3 weeks
On this page
Overview
Appendicitis rarely announces itself clearly. It often starts as a dull ache around the navel that you put down to gas or something you ate. Over the next few hours the pain moves to the lower right side of your abdomen and sharpens, so that coughing, walking or a bumpy auto ride makes it worse. Nausea, a slight fever and no interest in food usually come with it.
The appendix is a narrow pouch, about the length of a finger, attached to the start of the large bowel. When it gets blocked and infected, it has to come out. In a laparoscopic appendectomy (also called appendicectomy), your surgeon works through three small cuts, the largest about 1 cm at the navel. Carbon dioxide gas makes room inside the abdomen, a thin camera shows the inside on a screen, and the appendix is tied off at its base, cut free and lifted out in a bag.
Caught before it bursts, this is a short operation, and most people go home within a day or two. A burst (perforated) appendix spreads infection inside the abdomen, which means a longer operation, several days of antibiotics through a drip and a slower recovery. So suspected appendicitis should be seen the same day, not watched at home.
Our emergency department sees sudden abdominal pain round the clock, and the general surgery team, which performs appendectomies regularly, has operation theatres available 24/7. We operate with HD laparoscopic systems and keep open surgery for cases where it's genuinely the safer choice.
Why it's done
Diagnosis rests on an examination, blood tests showing infection and, usually, an ultrasound. A CT scan helps when the picture is unclear, though it's avoided in pregnancy and used sparingly in children.
- Pain that begins around the navel and settles in the lower right abdomen, worse on moving or coughing
- Tenderness low on the right side with fever, vomiting or loss of appetite
- An ultrasound or CT scan showing a swollen appendix, sometimes with a small hard stone (appendicolith) inside
- A burst appendix, or an abscess (a pocket of pus) next to it
- A lump around the appendix that settled with antibiotics, where your surgeon advises planned removal a few weeks later
Is it right for you?
Usually a good fit
- Adults and children with confirmed or strongly suspected appendicitis
- People with a burst appendix, since keyhole surgery lets the surgeon wash out the whole abdomen
- Pregnant women in any trimester, with extra care and a gynaecologist involved
May not be suitable
- Pain that turns out to come from a kidney stone, urine infection or ovarian problem, which needs different treatment
- Severe heart or lung disease that makes the gas pressure risky, where an open operation may be chosen
- Very high blood sugar or dehydration, which are corrected with insulin and fluids in the hours before surgery
Types and techniques
Keyhole or open operation
Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery is the first choice for most people. An open appendectomy uses one cut of about 5 to 8 cm in the lower right abdomen, for when the gas can't be used safely. Now and then a keyhole operation is switched to open because the appendix is badly stuck or hard to see, and that's a call made for your safety.
Simple or complicated appendicitis
If the appendix has burst, the surgeon washes pus out of the abdomen and may leave a thin drain for a day or two. Antibiotics continue for several days and the stay stretches to about 3 to 7 days.
Preparing for surgery
- Stop eating and drinking as soon as appendicitis is suspected, since surgery may follow within hours
- Don't take laxatives or enemas for the pain. They won't help and can make things worse
- Expect blood tests, a urine test and an ultrasound. Women of childbearing age also have a pregnancy test
- Tell the team about blood thinners such as aspirin, clopidogrel or warfarin, and bring your medicine strips or a list
- If you have diabetes, your sugar is checked often, and insulin through a drip may replace your tablets for a day or two
- Many policies want notice within 24 hours of an emergency admission, so tell your insurer or TPA early. Our billing team handles the cashless paperwork
- Ask one family member to stay with you, and bring loose clothes for the trip home
The procedure, step by step
- 01
Anaesthesia
You're fully asleep under a general anaesthetic, and antibiotics go in through the drip at the start.
- 02
Making the ports
A small cut at the navel lets the surgeon fill the abdomen with gas and pass in the camera. Two more cuts of about 5 mm, lower down, take the instruments.
- 03
Checking the whole abdomen
The surgeon looks around the abdomen and pelvis first. If the appendix looks normal, other causes such as an ovarian cyst are checked.
- 04
Removing the appendix
The small artery feeding the appendix is sealed, its base is closed with surgical loops or clips, and it's cut free. It comes out through the navel cut inside a bag, so infected tissue doesn't touch the wound.
- 05
Washing out and closing
Any pus is rinsed out with saline. The gas is let out, the cuts are closed with dissolvable stitches or skin glue, and the appendix goes to the lab. Start to finish, it's usually 45 to 90 minutes.
Benefits and risks
Benefits
- Removes the infected appendix before it bursts, or clears the infection if it already has
- Three small scars instead of one longer cut
- Less pain, fewer wound infections and a shorter stay than open surgery for most people
- The camera can check the ovaries and bowel if the appendix turns out to be normal
- Appendicitis can't return, apart from rare inflammation of the tiny stump left behind
Possible risks
- Infection in one of the cuts, more likely after a burst appendix and usually treated with dressings and antibiotics
- A collection of pus inside the abdomen, mainly after a burst appendix, which may need a drain placed under ultrasound
- Switching to open surgery if the appendix is badly stuck or hard to see
- Aching in the shoulder tip for a day or two from the gas, which is harmless
- Uncommon problems such as a hernia at the navel cut, injury to the bowel, bladder or a blood vessel, and the small risks of anaesthesia
Recovery timeline
These timings are for simple appendicitis. Add a week or two if your appendix had burst.
- 01
Day 0 to 1
You're encouraged to walk to the bathroom the same evening. Sips of water come first, then tea, soup and light food by the next day if you're not feeling sick.
- 02
Days 1 to 3
Most people go home after 1 or 2 nights, with painkillers and sometimes a short course of antibiotics. You can shower after 48 hours and pat the cuts dry.
- 03
Weeks 1 to 2
Walk a little more each day. Desk work is usually fine after about a week. Don't lift anything heavier than a full bucket of water for the first two weeks.
- 04
Weeks 2 to 4
At your follow-up, the surgeon checks the wounds and goes over the lab report. Most people return to the gym, sports and heavy work at 3 to 4 weeks.
When to call your doctor
- Fever above 100.4°F (38°C) after the first two days at home
- Abdominal pain that gets worse instead of better, or a tight, swollen belly
- Repeated vomiting, or no wind or stools for more than two or three days
- Redness spreading from a cut, or pus or foul-smelling discharge
- Pain or swelling in a calf, or sudden breathlessness. Call an ambulance for breathlessness
Call us on +91-8826000033 or come straight to our 24/7 emergency department.
Alternatives to surgery
Antibiotics alone
For uncomplicated appendicitis confirmed on a CT scan, antibiotics settle the attack in many adults. The catch is recurrence: roughly 3 to 4 in 10 end up needing the operation within five years. Antibiotics aren't advised if there's a stone in the appendix or signs that it has burst, but they can suit someone too unwell for an anaesthetic.
Draining an abscess first
Arrive several days into the illness with an abscess or a firm lump around the appendix, and antibiotics usually come first, sometimes with a drain placed through the skin. Adults over about 40 may later be offered a colonoscopy, since a bowel growth can look like an appendix lump.
Talk to our General & Laparoscopic Surgery team
Ask about your options, the cost and your insurance before you decide. See the insurance and TPA panels we work with.
This page explains Laparoscopic Appendectomy (Appendix Removal) in general terms. Your own plan depends on your health, your test results and your doctor's advice. Please read our medical disclaimer.
Your care team
Laparoscopic Appendectomy (Appendix Removal) is led by our General & Laparoscopic Surgery team, with other departments stepping in at each stage of your care.
General Surgery Department
At Prakash Hospital, our General Surgery Department delivers expert surgical care for a wide range of conditions, combining advanced techniques with personalized treatment plans to ensure safe, effective, and faster recovery for our patients.
What the department treats
Laparoscopic Surgery
Hernia Repair
Gallbladder Surgery
Appendectomy
Thyroid Surgery
Wound Management
Other departments involved
Emergency
Assesses sudden abdominal pain at any hour, starts fluids and pain relief, and calls in the surgical team.
Visit departmentDiagnostic
Does the blood tests, ultrasound or CT scan that confirm appendicitis, and examines the removed appendix.
Visit departmentPediatric
Looks after children before and after surgery, with fluids and pain relief matched to their weight.
Visit departmentMeet the specialists
Related procedures
Procedures often considered alongside Laparoscopic Appendectomy (Appendix Removal), or that treat related conditions.
Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Removes a gallbladder with stones through four small cuts, usually with a stay of one night or less.
Learn moreHernia Repair (Laparoscopic)
Pushes the bulge back and reinforces the weak abdominal wall with mesh, by keyhole or open surgery.
Learn moreGynecology & ObstetricsLaparoscopic Ovarian Cystectomy
Keyhole removal of an ovarian cyst that keeps the healthy ovary, usually with a stay of one night or less.
Learn moreGastroenterologyColonoscopy
A camera test of the large bowel that investigates bleeding or bowel changes and removes polyps early.
Learn moreMore in General & Laparoscopic Surgery
Other procedures our General & Laparoscopic Surgery team performs.
Haemorrhoidectomy
Removes large or prolapsing piles that haven't settled with diet, medicines or banding.
Learn moreThyroid Surgery
Removes part or all of the thyroid for a goitre, a suspicious nodule or an overactive gland.
Learn moreBreast Lump Removal
Removes a breast lump after tests, usually as day care, and sends it to the lab to confirm what it is.
Learn moreWound Care & Debridement
Treats wounds that won't heal, from diabetic foot ulcers to bedsores, with debridement, dressings and pressure relief.
Learn moreFrequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about Laparoscopic Appendectomy (Appendix Removal) at Prakash Hospital, Noida.
Do I need my appendix?
How painful is it after keyhole surgery?
When can I go back to work or ride my two-wheeler?
What should I eat after an appendix operation?
Can appendicitis be operated on during pregnancy?
Is the operation different for children?
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