Apart from surgeries related to pregnancy, the most common
operation during pregnancy is appendicitis. Appendicitis occurs in
approximately 1000-2000 pregnancies. Acute appendicitis during pregnancy is
less common than non-pregnant women, but delay in diagnosis is more common.
The diagnosis is often made with anamnesis, physical
examination findings, and ultrasound findings. Rarely, tomography is used for
diagnosis in mandatory cases. However, the diagnosis of appendicitis during
pregnancy is more difficult than other patients because the growing uterus is
displaced by pushing the appendix organ. Therefore, the diagnosis of
appendicitis is made later in pregnant women. The appendix is normally
located in the lower right part of the abdomen, it is a thin organ about 5 cm
tall that protrudes out of the region where the thick foot begins (cecum).
Appendicitis occurs as a result of inflammation of this organ for various
reasons. Since complaints such as groin pain, nausea and vomiting are common
during pregnancy, it can be confused with the diagnosis of appendicitis and
make the diagnosis difficult. In appendicitis, the number of leukocytes in the
blood increases, but normally in pregnancy, leukocytes may be high, which makes
the diagnosis difficult. Another situation that makes diagnosis difficult is
that x-rays cannot be taken during pregnancy. For all these reasons, the
diagnosis of appendicitis during pregnancy is more difficult than normal
patients, but the examination of an experienced general surgeon and the
patient's anamnesis are the most valuable factors in diagnosis. The most common
complaints in the patient are abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, to a
lesser extent, fever, diarrhea, constipation. In the first months of pregnancy,
the pain is more in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, as in non-pregnant
women, but in the following months, the pain is higher due to the growth of the
uterus. When diagnosing appendicitis, it is important to distinguish it from
other conditions that cause abdominal pain during pregnancy.
Treatment
and surgery:
Appendicitis always requires surgery with or without
pregnancy. There is never medication. In pregnant women, surgery is performed
by general surgery specialists and the inflamed appendix organ is removed.
Appendectomy surgery can be performed with a normal incision or laparoscopic
(closed surgery) in the first months of pregnancy.
Appendicitis during pregnancy can cause complications such as
miscarriage, premature birth. The earlier the diagnosis of appendicitis, the
less pefroration is seen and the problems associated with pregnancy are less.
The risk of complications such as preterm labor increases in exfoliated
appendicitis and advanced pregnancy months. Since the diagnosis of appendicitis
is more difficult in pregnant women, the rate of perforating is higher. In one
study, the perforation rate in pregnancy was reported as 57%. Perforation rate
in non-pregnant is around 5-20%. Sometimes tocolysis treatment is given to stop
the pains if there is a danger of preterm labor after appendicitis in the last
months of pregnancy.
-IODINE DEFICIENCY IN PREGNANCY
-STOMACH ULCER AND GASTRITIS IN PREGNANCY
-HEREDITARY THROMBOPHILIA AND PREGNANCY
-PREEKLAMPSY IN PREGNANCY
