When the Appendix Has Already Ruptured: Abscess Drainage, Antibiotics and Delayed Surgery

The pain had been there for two days before it eased, and for a few hours she thought the worst was over. Then the fever climbed, her belly grew tight and tender in a way that made the car ride to the emergency department feel endless, and the scan showed what the brief relief had hidden: the appendix had already burst.

That moment changes the conversation. With an intact, inflamed appendix, the plan is usually simple and fast. Once it has ruptured, the options multiply, and the words start coming quickly: abscess, drain, peritonitis, interval surgery. Families often hear that the operation everyone expected may not happen this week at all, and that can feel alarming rather than reassuring.

This explainer walks through how ruptured appendix treatment is actually chosen, why waiting can be the more careful option, what a percutaneous drain involves, and what the first weeks usually look like, all measured against mainstream evidence rather than hallway lore.

What does ruptured appendix treatment actually involve?

Start with the anatomy of the problem. The appendix is a finger-sized pouch attached to the first part of the large intestine, low on the right side of the abdomen. When it becomes blocked and infected, pressure builds inside it. If that pressure is not relieved, the wall weakens and tears, and bowel contents leak into the abdominal cavity. Surgeons call this perforation; most people call it a burst appendix.

What happens next inside the body decides everything. In some people the leak spreads freely, coating the lining of the abdomen with pus and bacteria. That lining is called the peritoneum, and its inflammation is peritonitis, a condition that makes the whole belly rigid and painful and can tip a person toward sepsis, the body-wide reaction to severe infection. In others, the surrounding fat, bowel and lining stick together and seal the leak into a contained pocket of pus, an abscess, sometimes with a firm lump the surgeon can feel.

Ruptured appendix treatment therefore rests on three tools that are combined in different orders. Antibiotics given into a vein treat the bacteria spilling from the bowel. Drainage removes collected pus, either through a needle-guided tube placed through the skin or during an operation. Appendectomy, the surgical removal of the appendix, takes away the source. Mayo Clinic and the NIDDK both describe the same logic: free spread usually means prompt surgery, while a walled-off abscess often means drainage and antibiotics first, with surgery considered later.

The opinion that matters most here is a quiet one. Speed is not always the same as safety. A team that chooses to drain and wait is not hesitating; it is choosing the path with the least collateral damage for that particular abdomen on that particular day.

What are the causes of a burst appendix?

People often ask what they did wrong. The honest answer is almost always nothing.

Appendicitis begins with a blockage of the narrow channel inside the appendix. MedlinePlus and Cleveland Clinic list the usual culprits: a hardened lump of stool, swollen lymphoid tissue after a viral or bacterial infection, and less often a growth or a foreign object. Once the opening is closed, mucus keeps being produced with nowhere to go. Bacteria that normally live harmlessly in the bowel multiply in the trapped fluid, the wall swells, and blood supply to the tissue falls.

Rupture is the end of that sequence, not a separate event. A wall starved of blood becomes fragile and eventually splits. The timing varies widely, but Johns Hopkins notes that the risk of perforation rises the longer inflammation continues without treatment, which is why any persistent, worsening abdominal pain deserves prompt assessment rather than a wait-and-see weekend.

Some groups are more likely to arrive with the appendix already burst. Very young children cannot always describe where the pain is, and their appendix wall is thinner. Older adults may have milder or vaguer symptoms and sometimes a blunted fever response, so the picture is recognized later. Pregnancy shifts the appendix upward, changing where pain is felt. The NHS and Mayo Clinic both flag these groups as more likely to present with complications.

None of this involves diet myths. Swallowed seeds, chewing gum and spicy food are not established causes in the medical literature. Appendicitis is a plumbing problem inside a small tube, and it happens across every diet and lifestyle. Understanding that frees families to focus on the decisions ahead rather than on blame.

Why do surgeons sometimes wait instead of operating right away?

Here is the paradox that unsettles families: the appendix has burst, yet the surgeon says not tonight.

The reasoning lives in the tissues. In the days after a rupture, the area around the appendix becomes a dense, angry mass of swollen bowel loops, glued-together fat and inflamed membrane. Operating into that mass is technically harder than removing a merely inflamed appendix. Structures are fragile and difficult to tell apart, bleeding is more likely, and there is a higher chance of injuring nearby bowel, which can lead to a larger operation, including removal of part of the colon. Mayo Clinic describes exactly this trade-off when it explains why an abscess may be drained first and the appendix removed later.

Draining the pus and treating the infection with antibiotics lets the inflammation cool. Weeks later, the anatomy is quieter, the operation is usually more straightforward, and it can often be done with keyhole instruments rather than a long incision.

Waiting is not the default for everyone. When infection has spread through the abdomen, when the person is becoming septic, or when the scan shows no contained pocket to drain, early surgery is generally the safer choice because the source needs to be controlled quickly. The NIDDK frames the decision the same way: prompt operation for spreading infection, drainage and antibiotics for a walled-off abscess.

What families can hold onto is this. Both paths are recognized, guideline-level approaches. The team is weighing the state of the abdomen, the person’s overall health, and the imaging findings, and the choice can change if the picture changes. Asking the surgeon to explain which findings drove the decision is entirely reasonable and usually produces a clear answer.

Appendix abscess drainage: what happens during the procedure

Percutaneous drainage means placing a thin tube through the skin into a collection of pus using imaging as a guide. In practice, it is quieter than it sounds.

The person lies on a scanning table, usually for CT or ultrasound. A radiologist, a doctor trained to perform procedures under imaging, numbs the skin and deeper tissues with local anesthetic. A fine needle is guided into the abscess, a wire follows, and a soft drainage catheter about the width of a drinking straw is threaded over it. The pus flows out into a collection bag and a sample is sent to the laboratory so antibiotics can be tailored to the bacteria found. Sedation is commonly offered for comfort. Mayo Clinic describes this step as a standard part of care when a burst appendix has produced an abscess.

Afterward, the drain stays in for a period the team decides, often flushed with sterile fluid to keep it clear. Nurses record how much drains each day; as the output falls and repeat imaging shows the pocket shrinking, the tube is removed at the bedside, a moment most people describe as a strange pull rather than pain.

Not every abscess can be reached this way. A pocket tucked deep between loops of bowel or behind the bladder may have no safe needle path. In that situation, antibiotics alone may be tried for a small collection, or surgical drainage may be needed.

Risks are real but uncommon: bleeding, injury to bowel or bladder, the tube slipping out, or the abscess re-forming and needing a second drain. These are the points worth raising when the consent form appears, and a good team will name them before you ask.

Antibiotics for a perforated appendix: what they can and cannot do

Antibiotics are the constant across every version of ruptured appendix treatment, yet what they achieve is easy to misunderstand.

Bowel bacteria are a mixed crowd, including species that thrive without oxygen. The intravenous regimens used after perforation are chosen to cover that whole range, which is why the medicines often come as a combination rather than a single agent. The prescribing team selects them, adjusts them once laboratory results identify the specific organisms, and sets the duration. Those decisions sit entirely with the clinicians, and this article will not describe schedules or amounts.

Mechanistically, antibiotics do two things well. They kill bacteria circulating in the blood and tissue fluid, reducing the risk of sepsis, and they help the body contain the infection so an abscess stops enlarging. What they cannot do is empty a large pocket of pus, because little blood reaches its center and the medicine cannot penetrate in useful concentration. That is why drainage and antibiotics are partners rather than alternatives when a sizeable abscess is present.

Timelines are usually described in stages. Intravenous treatment continues in hospital while fever settles, pain eases and blood tests improve; many people are then switched to tablets to finish the course at home, a transition described in NHS and Mayo Clinic guidance. The exact length depends on how quickly the person responds and what imaging shows.

Two practical points deserve emphasis. Finishing the prescribed course matters even when you feel well, because stopping early is a recognized route to relapse and resistance. And new symptoms while on antibiotics, such as returning fever, worsening pain or persistent diarrhea, are a reason to contact the team promptly rather than to wait for the next appointment.

Can a ruptured appendix heal without surgery?

The short answer is that some people with a contained abscess are treated successfully without ever having an operation, but this is a carefully selected group, not a general option.

Here is what the evidence actually shows. Research summarized on PubMed has examined antibiotics-first treatment of appendicitis, and mainstream guidance from Mayo Clinic and the NIDDK acknowledges that a walled-off abscess may be managed with drainage and antibiotics, with the appendix removed later or, in some cases, left in place. The key word is contained. When the leak has spread through the abdomen, antibiotics alone are not a recognized alternative to surgery, because there is no way to control the source without an operation.

Even when nonoperative treatment works in the moment, questions remain. Appendicitis can recur in an appendix that is left in place, and the team will weigh that risk against the risks of surgery for each person. Research on antibiotic-first strategies in uncomplicated appendicitis, discussed in Harvard Health and Johns Hopkins summaries, has found that a meaningful share of people eventually need surgery within a few years, which is one reason many surgeons still favor eventual removal after a complicated episode. The exact proportion varies between studies and populations, so any single number you read online should be treated with caution.

There is also a diagnostic reason to keep the appendix in view. In older adults especially, an inflammatory mass on the right side can occasionally hide a tumor of the appendix or colon. Follow-up imaging or a colonoscopy, a camera examination of the large bowel, is often recommended after nonoperative treatment for that reason.

So healing without surgery is possible for some. Whether it is wise for you is a decision that belongs to your treating team, made with your scan in front of them.

Who is usually treated with drainage first, and who goes straight to surgery?

Surgeons rarely describe their reasoning as a checklist, but a few patterns show up consistently in guideline-level sources.

Drainage and antibiotics first is typically considered when imaging shows a well-defined abscess or a firm inflammatory mass, the person is stable, with a normal or only mildly raised heart rate and blood pressure, and pain is confined to one area. Several days have often passed since symptoms began, which means the inflammation is at its most dense and the surgical field at its most hostile. The NIDDK and Mayo Clinic describe this scenario as the classic setting for delayed surgery.

Early operation is more likely when the infection has spread through the abdomen, when the person shows signs of sepsis such as high fever, fast breathing, confusion or falling blood pressure, when there is no drainable collection, or when the diagnosis itself is uncertain and another surgical emergency needs to be excluded. Free air on a scan, which signals a hole in the bowel, also pushes toward surgery.

Some people are asked to wait for reasons that have nothing to do with the appendix. Poorly controlled diabetes, heart or lung disease, or blood-thinning medicines may make an urgent operation riskier, and a period of drainage, antibiotics and medical optimization can lower that risk before a planned procedure.

Children deserve a specific mention. Pediatric surgeons use both strategies, and the choice is often influenced by how long the child has been unwell and how well the abscess is walled off. Parents should expect the pathway, preparation and comfort measures to be explained in age-appropriate terms.

None of these categories is rigid. A plan to wait can become a plan to operate within hours if fever climbs or pain spreads, which is why close monitoring in hospital is part of the drainage-first approach rather than an optional extra.

Interval appendectomy: why some people are asked to come back weeks later

Interval appendectomy is the term for removing the appendix at a planned operation after an episode of complicated appendicitis has been treated with drainage and antibiotics. The interval refers to the pause between the emergency and the surgery.

The purpose is to trade an urgent, messy operation for a scheduled, cleaner one. By the time of the interval operation, the abscess cavity has usually collapsed, the bowel loops have unstuck themselves, and the appendix or its remnant can be identified and removed, often with keyhole instruments through small incisions. Mayo Clinic and the NIDDK describe the appendix being removed some weeks after the infection is under control; surgical teams commonly quote a window of roughly 6–12 weeks, adjusted to how the person has recovered.

Before the operation, most people have a clinic visit and often repeat imaging to confirm the collection has resolved. Blood tests check that inflammation has settled. Anesthesia teams review general health, and anyone on blood-thinning medicines will receive specific instructions from the prescribing clinician about how those are handled around surgery.

Whether interval appendectomy is always necessary is an active debate. Some centers recommend it for everyone after a complicated episode, citing the risk of recurrence and the small chance of an underlying growth. Others offer it selectively, reserving surgery for people who have another attack or whose follow-up imaging raises concern. Systematic reviews indexed on PubMed reflect this range of practice rather than a single settled answer, and patient guidance from the NHS notes that recovery from the initial episode itself can take longer when the appendix has burst.

What this means in the consulting room is a genuine choice, and it is fair to ask your surgeon which approach they recommend for you and why.

Comparing the paths: immediate surgery, drainage plus antibiotics, and delayed surgery

Seeing the three strategies side by side helps families follow the conversation. This table summarizes how mainstream sources such as Mayo Clinic, the NIDDK and the NHS describe them; it is a map, not a menu, and the choice remains with the treating team.

Approach	Typical situation	What happens	Main trade-offs
Immediate appendectomy with washout	Infection spreading through the abdomen, signs of sepsis, no drainable collection, or uncertain diagnosis	Operation soon after arrival; appendix removed, abdomen rinsed, sometimes a temporary drain left in; antibiotics continue afterward	Controls the source quickly; operating in inflamed tissue is technically harder and may need a larger incision or wider resection
Percutaneous drainage plus antibiotics	Well-defined abscess or inflammatory mass in a stable person	Imaging-guided tube drains pus; intravenous then oral antibiotics; monitoring in hospital, then follow-up imaging	Avoids an urgent operation in hostile tissue; drain may fail or abscess may re-form; appendix remains in place
Interval (delayed) appendectomy	Weeks after successful drainage and antibiotics, once inflammation has settled	Planned, often keyhole, removal of the appendix	Cleaner surgical field; requires a second admission and anesthesia; some teams offer it selectively rather than routinely
Antibiotics alone, no drainage	Small collection that cannot be safely reached with a needle, in a stable person	Intravenous antibiotics with close observation and repeat imaging	Least invasive; not appropriate for spreading infection; may still need drainage or surgery if response is poor

Two details are worth noticing. Antibiotics appear in every row, which is why questions about them come up regardless of the path chosen. And the rows are not fixed lanes. A person who begins with drainage can move to surgery within hours if their condition changes, and a person who has emergency surgery may still need a drain for a collection that forms afterward. The plan follows the abdomen, not the other way round.

Perforated appendix recovery time: what the first days and weeks usually look like

Recovery after a burst appendix runs on a slower clock than recovery after a simple appendectomy, and knowing that in advance prevents a lot of discouragement.

The first days are spent in hospital. Fever should trend downward, pain should become manageable with the medicines the team prescribes, and the bowel, which often goes quiet after infection or surgery, gradually restarts; passing wind is a genuinely welcome milestone. People who had surgery are encouraged to walk early to reduce the risk of blood clots and chest infections. Those with a drain learn to keep it secured and to report any change in what it collects.

Going home usually happens once eating, drinking and walking are comfortable and infection markers are improving. The NHS notes that returning to normal activities after keyhole surgery for uncomplicated appendicitis commonly takes a couple of weeks, and that open surgery or a burst appendix typically means a longer recovery. Mayo Clinic offers similar practical framing: limiting activity for roughly 3–5 days after laparoscopic surgery and 10–14 days after an open operation, with strenuous lifting deferred until the surgeon agrees.

For the drainage-first path, the weeks at home involve finishing antibiotics, attending a follow-up scan or clinic visit, and sometimes a decision about interval surgery. Energy returns unevenly. Many people describe feeling well one day and washed out the next, which is a normal pattern after significant infection rather than a sign of relapse.

Warning signs during this period include returning fever, increasing rather than easing pain, vomiting, redness or discharge at wound or drain sites, and a swollen or painful calf. Those belong in the section below, and they warrant a call rather than a wait.

What is the survival rate for someone with a ruptured appendix? An honest answer

People type this question into search engines late at night, and it deserves a straight response rather than a reassuring dodge.

In settings with ready access to imaging, antibiotics and surgery, death from appendicitis is uncommon, and the great majority of people who arrive with a perforation recover. That said, this article will not quote a percentage, because the figures published in the literature vary widely with age, general health, how long the rupture went untreated, and the healthcare system studied, and a single number lifted from one study would mislead more than it informs.

What the evidence does show is the direction of risk. Perforation raises the chance of serious complications compared with uncomplicated appendicitis, because it introduces the possibility of peritonitis, sepsis, abscess formation and wound infection. Older adults carry more risk than young adults, partly because they present later and partly because of coexisting illness. The WHO highlights that where surgical care is delayed or unavailable, complications from common conditions such as appendicitis become far more dangerous, which is a reminder that access, not the appendix itself, is the biggest variable worldwide.

The complications that most often prolong recovery are not fatal ones. A collection that forms after surgery may need a drain. A wound may become infected and need to be opened and dressed. Bowel function may take longer to return, and a short period of intravenous fluids or a nasogastric tube, a thin tube through the nose into the stomach, is sometimes needed.

The takeaway is measured but real: a burst appendix is a serious condition that modern care treats effectively in most people, and the single most controllable factor is how quickly someone with worsening abdominal pain is assessed.

What people often get wrong about a burst appendix

Misconceptions cluster around this diagnosis, and correcting them changes how people cope.

The pain stopping means the danger passed. Often the opposite. Mayo Clinic and the NHS both describe a sudden easing of pain followed by a return of more diffuse pain as a pattern that can accompany rupture, because pressure inside the appendix is released for a while before peritonitis develops. Relief after days of severe pain is a reason to be seen, not reassured.

Waiting to operate means the hospital is being slow. Delayed surgery after drainage is a deliberate, evidence-based strategy described by the NIDDK and Mayo Clinic, chosen because operating in dense inflammation carries its own risks.

Antibiotics alone can always replace surgery. They may be enough for a contained abscess in a selected person, but they cannot control infection spreading freely through the abdomen, and an appendix left in place can flare again.

A burst appendix always causes peritonitis. Many ruptures are walled off by surrounding tissue into an abscess. That is precisely the situation in which drainage rather than immediate surgery becomes an option.

Seeds, gum or spicy food caused it. There is no established link in mainstream medical sources; blockage by stool or swollen lymphoid tissue is the usual mechanism.

Once the drain is out, you are done. Follow-up imaging, completion of antibiotics, and a decision about interval appendectomy usually remain, and in older adults a check of the bowel to exclude an underlying growth is often advised.

Children bounce back instantly. Children often recover well, but perforation is more common in young children, and their recovery plan includes the same follow-up steps in a form suited to their age.

Questions to ask your care team

A ruptured appendix conversation happens fast and often at the worst hour of the day. Writing questions down before the surgeon returns is not fussy; it is how families keep their footing. These are the ones that tend to produce the most useful answers.

• Has the infection spread through the abdomen, or is it contained in an abscess? Which findings on the scan tell you that?
• Are you recommending surgery now, drainage first, or antibiotics alone, and what would make you change that plan?
• If a drain is placed, how will you decide when it can come out, and what should we watch for at home?
• How will the antibiotics be adjusted once the laboratory identifies the bacteria, and who will explain the switch from intravenous to oral treatment?
• Do you recommend interval appendectomy for me, or do you offer it selectively? What is the reasoning either way?
• What follow-up imaging or tests will be needed, and is a colonoscopy or other bowel check advisable given my age?
• What is a realistic recovery timeline for my situation, and when can I expect to return to work, school, driving or exercise?
• Which symptoms should prompt an immediate call or return to the emergency department?
• How should my regular medicines, including any blood thinners or diabetes treatment, be handled around the procedure? Who is managing that?
• If this is a child, how will you explain the plan to them, and what comfort measures are available before and after any procedure?

One more, often forgotten: who is my point of contact after discharge? Knowing which team member to call, and how, turns a frightening week into a managed one. Bring the answers home in writing; memory under stress is unreliable, and the discharge letter will not capture everything said at the bedside.

When to call your doctor

The weeks after a burst appendix are a period of watchful recovery, and the line between a bad day and a problem is not always obvious. Mainstream guidance from the NHS, Mayo Clinic and MedlinePlus converges on the following red-flag signs.

Seek emergency care immediately, by ambulance if needed, for severe or rapidly worsening abdominal pain, a belly that becomes hard and rigid, repeated vomiting so that fluids cannot be kept down, fainting, confusion, very fast breathing or heartbeat, or a fever with shaking chills. These can signal peritonitis or sepsis and cannot wait for a clinic appointment.

Call your care team the same day for fever that returns after it had settled, pain that is increasing rather than easing, redness, warmth, swelling or pus at a wound or drain site, a drain that has stopped draining, slipped out or is leaking around the skin, persistent diarrhea or no bowel movement combined with bloating, difficulty passing urine, or a swollen, painful calf, which can indicate a blood clot.

Contact the prescribing clinician if you develop a rash, severe stomach upset or any reaction you suspect is linked to the antibiotics. Do not stop or change them on your own; the decision about whether to continue, switch or pause sits with the person who prescribed them.

For anyone who has not yet been diagnosed, the same principle applies to abdominal pain in general. Pain that starts around the navel and moves to the lower right, worsens over hours, and comes with nausea, loss of appetite or fever should be assessed promptly. Pain that suddenly eases after being severe is not an all-clear. Prompt assessment is the single most effective step in preventing an inflamed appendix from becoming a ruptured one, and every hour matters more than most people realize.

Frequently asked questions

What is the survival rate for someone with a ruptured appendix?

Most people who reach care with a perforated appendix recover, and death from appendicitis is uncommon where imaging, antibiotics and surgery are available. Published percentages vary widely with age, general health and how long the rupture went untreated, so a single figure would mislead. The consistent finding is that risk rises with delay and in older adults, which is why prompt assessment of worsening abdominal pain matters most.

Can a ruptured appendix heal without surgery?

Sometimes, in a carefully selected group. When the rupture has been walled off into an abscess and the person is stable, drainage and antibiotics can control the infection without an immediate operation, and some people never need surgery. When infection is spreading freely through the abdomen, antibiotics alone are not a recognized alternative to surgery. Recurrence remains possible with the appendix in place, so follow-up is essential.

What are the causes of a burst appendix?

A burst appendix is the end stage of untreated appendicitis. The appendix becomes blocked, usually by hardened stool or swollen lymphoid tissue after an infection, pressure builds, blood supply to the wall falls, and the weakened wall eventually tears. Diet, seeds and chewing gum are not established causes in mainstream medical sources. Perforation is more common in young children and older adults, largely because symptoms are recognized later.

How long does it take to recover from appendicitis surgery?

For uncomplicated keyhole appendectomy, the NHS describes a return to normal activities in a couple of weeks, and Mayo Clinic suggests limiting activity for roughly 3–5 days after laparoscopic and 10–14 days after open surgery. When the appendix has burst, recovery typically takes longer because of infection, possible drains and a longer hospital stay. Your surgeon will set timelines for lifting, driving and work.

What is the perforated appendix recovery time at home?

Home recovery after a perforated appendix usually involves finishing antibiotics, gradual return to normal eating and walking, and a follow-up visit with imaging. Energy often returns unevenly over several weeks. If a drain was placed, its care and removal are scheduled by the team. Strenuous activity is generally deferred until the surgeon agrees, and returning fever, worsening pain or wound changes should prompt a call.

How does appendix abscess drainage work?

A radiologist uses CT or ultrasound to guide a fine needle through numbed skin into the pocket of pus, then threads a soft catheter over a wire so the abscess drains into a bag. A sample goes to the laboratory to tailor antibiotics. The tube stays in until output falls and imaging shows the cavity shrinking, then it is removed at the bedside. Sedation is commonly offered for comfort.

What is an interval appendectomy and is it always needed?

Interval appendectomy is planned removal of the appendix some weeks after a complicated episode has been treated with drainage and antibiotics. It aims to prevent recurrence and to check for any underlying abnormality once inflammation has settled. Whether everyone needs it is debated; some teams recommend it routinely, others selectively. The decision rests with your surgeon after reviewing your recovery and follow-up imaging.

Why is a burst appendix more dangerous than ordinary appendicitis?

Rupture releases bowel bacteria into the abdominal cavity, which can cause peritonitis, an inflammation of the abdominal lining, and sepsis, a body-wide reaction to infection. It also allows abscesses to form and raises the chance of wound infection and slow bowel recovery. Treatment therefore becomes more complex and hospital stays longer, though most people recover well with prompt care.

Can children with a ruptured appendix be treated with drainage instead of immediate surgery?

Yes, pediatric surgeons use both strategies. A child who is stable with a well-formed abscess may be treated with drainage and antibiotics first, with surgery considered later; a child with spreading infection usually has prompt surgery. Perforation is more common in young children because symptoms are harder to describe. Parents should expect the pathway and comfort measures to be explained in age-appropriate terms.

What follow-up is needed after nonoperative treatment of a ruptured appendix?

Follow-up usually includes completing the antibiotic course, a clinic review, and repeat imaging to confirm the abscess has resolved. Your team will discuss whether interval appendectomy is advised. In older adults, a colonoscopy or other bowel check is often recommended because an inflammatory mass can occasionally conceal a growth. Any return of pain or fever between appointments should be reported promptly.

References

• NIDDK (NIH): Treatment for Appendicitis
• NHS: Appendicitis, treatment
• MedlinePlus: Appendicitis
• Cleveland Clinic: Appendicitis

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.