309.495.0200 Home Doctors Patient Center Procedures Plastic Surgery Cancer Care Contact Patient Portal General Surgery No one ever really feels prepared to face surgery. But at PSG, we want to do what we can to reduce your anxiety. Learn more about our surgeons, staff, experience and procedures right here on our website. Then get to know us in person, as we care for you from start to finish. Appendectomy Gallbladder Removal (Cholecystectomy) Hernia Surgery da Vinci® Surgery System Liver Resection Pancreatic Surgery Pancreatic Resections Pancreatectomy Cysts Panendoscopy Splenectomy Appendectomy Definition/Overview An appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix. The procedure is normally performed in an emergency situation, when a patient is suffering from acute appendicitis. Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. If left untreated, an inflamed appendix could eventually burst, or perforate, leaking infectious material into the abdominal cavity, eventually causing sepsis. Procedure Once the diagnosis of appendicitis has been made (usually based upon a physical exam, blood and urine tests, and possibly an X-ray, ultrasound or CT scan), antibiotics are administered prior to surgery. Appendectomies can be performed using an open method, or laparoscopically. In an open appendectomy, a two to three inch incision is made through the layers of the abdominal wall near the appendix. After examining the surrounding area, the appendix is removed by cutting it from the colon and sewing over the hole. The incision is then closed. This procedure is performed while the patient is under general anesthesia, and the hospital stay is usually one or two days. If the appendix has been perforated, the surgeon may insert a drain to release fluid from the abscess before removing the appendix. In this case, antibiotics must be administered after the surgery and the patient may remain in the hospital for a longer period of time. The laparoscopic technique involves making a series of small incisions in the abdomen. One incision is for insertion of a laparoscope, a thin telescopic instrument attached to a video camera that allows the surgeon to inspect the abdomen and appendix. Special instruments are inserted in the other incisions, and the appendix can be removed through one of the small incisions. This approach generally results in less post-operative pain for the patient and a quicker recovery time. Laparoscopic surgery also enables the surgeon to make a clear diagnosis in case appendicitis is in doubt. General surgery, despite its name, is a surgical subspecialty that primarily focuses on abdominal organs and the intestines including esophagus, stomach, colon, liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and often the thyroid gland (depending on the availability of head and neck surgery specialists). This encompasses a wide range of procedures including appendectomies and hernia repair to lung volume reduction surgery and thyroidectomy. This website includes a basic explanation of many commonly-performed general surgeries. These procedure overviews describe the typical situation; however, every patient and each surgery is unique. Your physician or nurse can provide additional details on your individual circumstances FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK GENERAL SURGERY Peoria – Illinois Medical Center 1001 Main St, Suite 300 Peoria, IL 61606 309.495.0200 309.676.6545 BABIS RAMMOS, MD, FACS Plastic Surgery 4616 North Prospect Road Peoria Heights, IL 61616 309.495.0050 © 2020 Peoria Surgical Group, Ltd. Site Careers Privacy Policy Contact