Health A-Z

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Harvard Medical School

Appendicitis

Treatment

The standard treatment is to remove the appendix. The surgery, called an appendectomy, should be done as soon as possible to reduce the risk of the appendix rupturing. If appendicitis is strongly suspected, a surgeon will often advise removing the appendix even if an ultrasound or CT scan cannot confirm the diagnosis. The surgeon's recommendation to operate reflects the danger of a ruptured appendix: It can be life threatening, while an appendectomy is a relatively low-risk operation.

Surgeons will frequently opt for laparoscopic surgery to remove the appendix because the average length of stay in the hospital is shorter and recovery is quicker compared to the standard surgical approach.

People usually are given antibiotics intravenously (into a vein) during surgery. The antibiotic is continued until the day after surgery. If the appendix ruptured, the person will need to take antibiotics for a week or more. To allow the digestive tract to rest after surgery, the person will not eat or drink for the first 24 hours after an appendectomy. After that, they gradually can take in small amounts of water, then clear liquids, and then some solid foods, until they are able to handle a regular diet.