What is appendicitis?

Also known as: appendix removal, surgical removal of the appendix.

The appendix is a tube-shaped organ attached to the colon in the right lower part of the abdomen. When the appendix becomes blocked with stool or inflammation, an illness called appendicitis, most doctors recommend removal by a procedure known as appendectomy. Simple appendicitis—present in two thirds of children with the disease--is when the organ is only inflamed, but not burst open. Complicated appendicitis is when there is rupture, and the inflammation has spread throughout the abdomen (peritonitis) or has formed an abscess.

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Reviewed by: Cathy Anne Burnweit, MD

This page was last updated on: 1/29/2019 3:21:13 PM