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Appendicitis · Help and support

Help with understanding your appendicitis appointment

Your surgical team can explain your scan results, the choices available and the next steps. Ask them to show you on the model what your results mean.

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If you feel very unwell or you are worried, contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

Your surgical team can explain your scan results, the choices available and the next steps. After you go home, use the contact number the hospital gave you if you have any problems.

Someone to talk to

Words you may hear

Appendix
A small, narrow pouch, closed at one end, that hangs from the start of the large bowel.
Caecum
The pouch at the start of the large bowel, low on the right side of the tummy.
Appendicitis
An inflamed, swollen appendix, often with infection.
Appendicolith
A small, hard stone inside the appendix, also called a faecolith.
Abscess (collection)
A pocket of pus. Scan reports often call it a collection.
Perforated
Burst: a hole in the wall of the appendix lets infection leak out.
Retrocaecal
Lying behind the caecum.
Pelvic appendix
An appendix whose tip points down into the pelvis.
Laparoscopic appendicectomy
Keyhole surgery to remove the appendix.
Interval appendicectomy
Removing the appendix some weeks after an abscess or inflammation has settled.
Drain
A thin tube through the skin that lets pus drain out.
CT scan
A scan using X-rays that shows the inside of the body in slices.
Ultrasound scan
A scan using sound waves, often used for children and in pregnancy.

Trusted information

The explorer is a simplified illustration for a conversation with your team. It cannot interpret your report, make a diagnosis or tell you which treatment is right.