Appendicitis Treatment in Delhi

Appendicitis is a surgical emergency. An inflamed appendix that is left alone can burst, and a burst appendix is a far more serious illness than one removed in time. At Sama Hospital — a NABH-accredited, doctor-owned hospital in South Delhi — appendicitis is treated by laparoscopic (keyhole) appendectomy: three small incisions, most patients home within a day or two.

If you have worsening pain in the lower right abdomen with fever or vomiting, come to hospital the same day. Do not wait overnight to see if it settles.

The appendix is a small, blind-ended tube attached to the start of the large intestine. When its opening becomes blocked, bacteria multiply inside it, and it swells, becomes infected and eventually loses its blood supply.

Left untreated, it perforates — spilling infection into the abdominal cavity. That is peritonitis, and it is life-threatening. The whole point of treating appendicitis promptly is to get there first.

• Pain that starts around the navel and shifts to the lower right abdomen over some hours — the classic pattern
• Loss of appetite — often the earliest and most reliable sign
• Nausea and vomiting
• Low-grade fever
• Pain that is worse on coughing, walking, or going over a bump in the road

Not everybody follows the textbook. In children, the elderly, and in pregnancy, appendicitis can present atypically — which is one reason it should be assessed by a surgeon rather than guessed at.

Clinical examination first — it remains the most important step. Blood tests will usually show a raised white-cell count. An ultrasound or CT scan confirms the diagnosis and rules out the conditions that mimic it.

The definitive treatment is removal of the appendix. Under general anaesthesia, through three small incisions, the inflamed appendix is detached and lifted out, and the abdomen is inspected and washed out if necessary.

Keyhole surgery has clear advantages here: smaller scars, less post-operative pain, lower wound-infection rates, and a faster return to normal life. It also allows the surgeon to look properly at the whole abdomen, which matters when the diagnosis is not certain — particularly in women, where gynaecological conditions can mimic appendicitis exactly.

You may have read that antibiotics alone can treat appendicitis. In selected patients with early, uncomplicated appendicitis, that is true — the attack settles.

But a significant proportion of those patients have a further attack and come to surgery anyway, and antibiotics are no use once the appendix has perforated or an abscess has formed. Surgery remains the definitive treatment, and in most cases it is what we would advise.

After an uncomplicated laparoscopic appendectomy, most patients go home within 24 to 48 hours and are back to normal activity in one to two weeks. If the appendix had already perforated, the stay is longer and a course of antibiotics is needed — another reason not to delay.

You can live an entirely normal life without an appendix. No medication, no dietary restriction.

We quote an all-inclusive package, confirmed after clinical assessment. What moves the figure:

• Whether the appendix is simply inflamed, or has perforated
• Laparoscopic or open surgery
• Length of stay and room category
• Whether intravenous antibiotics are needed after surgery

Cashless treatment is available for eligible insurance patients. See our cost estimate page.

Sama is doctor-owned and NABH-accredited, treating patients in South Delhi since 1982, with an emergency theatre and a surgical team available round the clock. Our surgeons are named on this page, and the surgeon who assesses you is the surgeon who operates.

Appendicitis is a condition where the clock matters. We are set up to move quickly.

Yes. An inflamed appendix can perforate and cause peritonitis, which is life-threatening. Worsening pain in the lower right abdomen with fever, loss of appetite or vomiting should be assessed in hospital the same day.

In selected patients with early, uncomplicated appendicitis, antibiotics can settle the attack — but a significant proportion have a further attack and need surgery later, and antibiotics are no use once the appendix has perforated. Surgery remains the definitive treatment.

Classically a vague ache around the navel that shifts over hours to the lower right abdomen, becoming sharper and more localised. Worse on coughing, walking or being jolted, and usually with loss of appetite.

After an uncomplicated laparoscopic appendectomy, home within 24 to 48 hours and back to normal in one to two weeks. Longer if the appendix had already perforated.

No. You can live an entirely normal life without it — no medication, no dietary restriction.