“Are there any risks involved in appendix surgery for a 12 year old?”
My son is 12 years old and has to have appendix surgery (thankfully, he doesn't have to get it urgently done). Are there any risks involved in this?
6 Answers
Yout Tube and Wikipedia for detailed explanations.
The most important urgent treatment is to give antibiotics. If the antibiotics are started, then the timing of the operation to remove the appendix, appendectomy, is much less important. All medical and surgical treatments carry risk. The risk of the operation include more common things like wound infection. Rare complications include pneumonia, allergic reactions to the anesthetic, intra-abdominal injuries, and some other things. Hundreds of thousands of people have undergone appendectomy and the overall risks are low.
All surgery, no matter how minor, has risk. There is no way to avoid risk. There are things that are outside the control of the physicians or anyone caring for a patient. Unfortunately, everything can be done properly, and everything can go wrong. This should not scare you. It is how we all live our lives in this universe. You need to think about the risks compared to the benefits for your son. A healthy patient has far less risk than one with medical problems. You need to have a real discussion with the surgeon. Most important is that during that conversation you get a good "vibe" as well as good information.
Just the usual for any abdominal intervention: intermediate- wound infection or seroma, and long term- hernia risk
Risks are generally low and rare with experienced surgeon. Risks are:
-Risk of anesthesia complications
-Bleeding
-Infection of incision
-Leakage of bowel injury & nearby organs
-Breakdown of wound repair after surgery
-Risk of anesthesia complications
-Bleeding
-Infection of incision
-Leakage of bowel injury & nearby organs
-Breakdown of wound repair after surgery
All surgery has risks including pain, bleeding, wound infections, and scars. Having an appendectomy is a relatively safe and well-tolerated procedure. Most are done laparoscopically and patients, especially those that are young and healthy, recovery well without any significant side effects. Your son will not miss having his appendix. There are no long-term drawbacks from having it removed.
