Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency. This condition commonly occurs between the ages of 10 and 30 years, but its occurrence is possible at any age, are known cases in patients older private events.
Acute appendicitis is the condition in which there is an inflammation of the appendix. Once on the inflammatory process can not be stopped with medication, treatment of this condition is surgical. The more surgical intervention is faster, the more pain of the patient is lower and more easily achievable intervention with complications more reduced as frequent and severity.
If surgery is delayed, the disease may be complicated: the catarrhal stage (early) to stage phlegmon, gangrenous later (organ necrosis), with its perforation and peritonitis initially located and then generalized, and can cause death of the patient.

Vermiform appendicitis is a tubular structure attached to the first portion of the large intestine (colon), called check. Appendix, is implanted in the the check, most frequently medial and inferior to the unity of the three tapeworm (smooth muscle strips).
But also can have atypical positions. To abdominal wall, it is projected on the right side in the lower abdomen, called the region, iliac fossa right.
The structure is lymphocytic (hollow body with abundant lymphatic tissue), but its function is not very well known, is considered primarily a vestige embryo. Remove it by appendectomy (appendicitis operation which is extracted when it is inflamed) does not alter digestive function.

Causes of appendicitis.

The cause of this disease may be, in many cases, obstruction of the lumen, the body cavity or due to bacterial proliferation stimulated lymphatic or a small foreign body (kernel, seeds).

This causes an increase obstruare lumen of intraluminal pressure (inside the body), a disorder of blood circulation in the body wall and its inflammation can evolve without gangrene and perforation to treatment (rupture).
Can be addressed in a genetic predisposition for apendicular lumen obstruction causing appendicitis, starting from the observation that many subjects are families with surgery for appendicitis, than others.

Symptoms of appendicitis.

They are varied but it has certain characteristics:
- Pain - is initially located in the epigastrium (chest) and around the navel, and later to change the right iliac fossa based, often radiating in the right leg, pain intensity is different and vary from one stage to another; If initially it is a discomfort, then it can become intense and even defensive muscle (abdomen becomes hard to the touch)
- Loss of appetite (lack of appetite), nausea and vomiting, constipation or diarrhea are other symptoms that may occur.

In some cases symptoms may progress rapidly without representative, which is why the presentation is an emergency physician, these cases are the patients with immunosuppressive therapy used in organ transplants and in certain conditions, patients with HIV, suffering from diabetes, neoplastic disease treated with chemotherapy, obese patients.
If pelvic localization of the Appendix to these symptoms can associate rectal tenesmus (cramps) with diarrhea.


Treatment for appendicitis.

As was mentioned above, and surgical treatment of appendicitis is appendectomy . This is performed in adults in most cases under spinal anesthesia, sometimes under general anesthesia.
Incision in the usual cases, uncomplicated iliac fossa is right, the small - from 1.5 to 3 cm and can be extended if intraoperative difficulties (atypical positioning, pathology associated - ovarian cysts, adhesions, etc.)..

There are cases when appendectomy can be performed and by an incision of only 1 cm (if you will practice and a subsequent intradermal suture, the scar will be very aesthetic, resulting appreciated especially young patients).
Surgery and laparoscopy can practice, which involves three small incisions.