Causes and Treatment of Appendicitis

6. Open Appendectomy Surgery

The traditional surgery to remove the appendix is called an open appendectomy. This surgery requires the doctor to make one abdominal incision about two to four inches long in the wall of the abdomen -- a laparotomy. The patient may require an open appendectomy if the appendix has ruptured and the infection has spread beyond the appendix, or if the patient has an abscess. An open incision lets the doctor clean the abdominal cavity of infection.

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