pain in abdomen child

Do children get appendicitis?

Yes, appendicitis is a common cause for abdominal pain in children. It is a serious medical condition which may lead to complications. Early treatment has the best results.

What is the appendix?

The appendix is a small tube which is a part of the intestine, attached at the junction of small and large intestine. It is blind ending, which means if stools or bacteria get stuck inside it, there is no easy way out for them. This predisposes the appendix to getting infected and hence appendicitis is a common problem in children.

Removing a diseased appendix has minimal to no impact on the intestines or the body.

What is the treatment for appendicitis in children?

Large series have shown that early appendicitis can be treated without surgery, with antibiotics and supportive medications.

It is important to diagnose how badly the appendix is affected and if there is an impending complication.

Imaging studies such as ultrasound or CT scan may help in picking up complicated appendicitis which is best treated by urgent surgery.

What is the surgery for appendicitis in children?

The appendix is removed surgically in children by Laparoscopy or Key-hole surgery.

In most cases if operated early, children make a quick recovery and get discharged within 2-3 days.

If the appendicitis is complicated by gangrene or pus formation or adhesions of intestine then the recovery may take a few weeks.

A full recovery after surgery usually occurs bybone or two months.

Children can often start going to school by 10-15 days after surgery.

It is advised to not engage in sports for a period of one month after surgery.

Tags: appendicitis paediatric laparoscopy paediatric children
Dr. Kant Shah
Dr. Kant Shah

Dr. Kant Shah is a specialist surgeon for children with an experience of 17 years in the field of Paediatric Surgery. He has worked in the UK for 6 years in prestigious hospitals such as Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Children’s Hospital, Oxford (CHOX).

After training in Paediatric Surgery, he underwent a fellowship in Paediatric Oncosurgery at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and then at Sir J. J. Group of hospitals, Mumbai for learning Advanced Paediatric Uro-surgery and Paediatric Laparoscopy. In 2018, he went to ORSI, Belgium, the largest training centre for Robotic Surgery and was certified as a Paediatric Robotic Surgeon.

He is passionate about improving the care of children who need surgery by using a holistic approach to patient care. He believes that all the available advances in medical sciences must be used to improve the long-term outcomes of children with complex congenital anomalies.