You have undergone surgery for appendicitis on  ____________________ and the appendix has been removed.

The following findings were made during surgery

☐ The appendix was inflamed.

☐ The appendix was inflamed and there was a hole into the abdominal cavity.

☐ The appendix was inflamed and there was an abscess in the abdominal cavity.

☐ The appendix was not inflamed.

Antibiotics

☐ During surgery you have received antibiotics (metronidazole and cefuroxime) - no further treatment is required.

☐ During surgery you have received antibiotics (metronidazole and piperacillin/tazobactam or cefuroxim) and you must continue antibiotic treatment for three days.

☐ During surgery you have received antibiotics (metronidazole and piperacillin/tazobactam or cefuroxim) and you must continue intravenous antibiotics treatment for three days.

Do not drink alcohol while you are taking metronidazole and 3 days after the last dose. You may have unpleasant side effects such as headaches, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, and flushing (warmth, redness, or tingly feeling).

Stitches

☐ The stitches must be removed by your general practitioner 10-12 days after surgery. You must book an appointment for this procedure.

☐ The stitches are dissolvable

Pain

You will feel some pain and bruising after surgery. Pain at the incision sites and in your abdomen is common. You might also have pain in your shoulders. This is from the carbon dioxide put into your abdomen during the keyhole operation. The shoulder pain should resolve in 24 to 48 hours.

You can take non-prescription medications to relieve pain, for instance 2x500 mg paracetamol (Panodil/Pamol/Pinex) 4 times a day (max) and/or 1x400 mg ibuprofen (Ipren/Ibumetin) 3 times a day (max).

Nausea

You might feel nauseated or vomit after your surgery. This is a common side effect of having surgery and anesthesia and should resolve within 24 to 48 hours.

Diet

You can eat and drink as you like. Your appetite may be reduced during the first few days but try to eat anyway. During the surgery you received an antibiotic called metronidazole – you must avoid drinking alcohol 3 days after the infusion as it can cause a reaction similar to Antabuse.

Bowel movement

You may have constipation for a short period after the operation. To help avoid this we recommend that you be physical active, eat plenty of fibre and drink plenty of fluids. If necessary, you can take laxatives, for instance Magnesia or other laxatives available over the counter at pharmacies.

Work and physical activity

In general, you can be as active as your body allows. Walk around as much as possible. You can go to work or school as soon as the wounds do not hurt, usually 3 days after surgery. If your work is very physical, you can wait until the stitches have been removed. If you need a notification of sick leave for your workplace, stating that you are unable to work after surgery, please contact your own general practitioner.

Driving

Do not drive motorized vehicles or operate heavy machinery the first 24 hours after surgery/anesthesia, as your ability is impaired.

Bathing

You may take a shower 24 hours after surgery. Do not take a bath in a bathtub or swim in a pool until the stitches are removed/dissolved.

Dressing

24 hours after surgery, there is no longer a need to cover your wound with a dressing. If you choose to wear a dressing, remember to replace it, if it becomes wet.

Complications

Following surgery there is a risk of wound infection. Signs of wound infection are pain, redness, warmth, swelling and fever of 38.5 degrees and general discomfort.

In rare cases an abscess develops inside the abdominal cavity after surgery. Signs of an abscess are persistent abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and general discomfort.

In rare cases you can experience bleeding from the wounds or a haematoma, which will discolour the skin. The haematoma usually disappears by itself. If you experience these complications within 3 days of the operation contact the ward on tel. 3863 5635. After 3 days, you should consult your general practitioner.

Over the long term

As your appendix is removed you cannot get appendicitis again. There is a small risk that you can get bowel obstruction due to adhesions, and there is a small risk that the scar can hurt, even several years after surgery.

Open phone contact

You have open phone contact with us for 3 days after the surgery. This means that you can contact us directly without first contacting your general practitioner. After the first 3 days, you must contact your general practitioner if you have questions or fell unwell.

You can contact the Surgical Admission Ward K around the clock on phone:
38 63 56 35.

If you feel unwell

You should contact us if:

• you get a fever above 38 degrees
• you experience increasing pain
• your surgical wound becomes hot, red, sore and swollen