re: Anyone here ever have an appendectomy?

Recovery time depends on a few things, including whether it perforated before it was removed.


In my case, I think I was back to office work within a week or so but I really didn’t have good use of my stomach muscles to bend over and even tie my shoes for a while.

I don’t have an exact timeframe but I wouldn’t expect to be working out for at least several weeks lest you tear something by accident.

Trapped in the jungles of Brazil, I had to remove my own appendix. Wasn't too bad.

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You have a lot of trapped air inside you from the surgery.

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It is actually carbon dioxide rather than air.

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Walking around helps you pass gas to remove the air

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Actually you can't pass the residual CO2, it has to be absorbed and eliminated via the respiratory system - generally takes 24-48 hours, depending upon how efficient your surgeon was at evacuating the CO2. But, it is not the same as gas that is in the intestine, and one can't pass it per se. However, some patients feel that positional changes can help ameliorate the pain to some degree.

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Otherwise it can cause horrible shoulder pain(usually right). Not sure why the right shoulder.

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The CO2 causes dessication of the surface of the diaphragm, which irritates the phrenic nerve, which is perceived as referred pain typically felt in the area of the right shoulder. If you are lucky the hospital where your surgeon operates uses a CO2 management system that heats/humidifies the CO2, then actively evacuates it after the procedure is done. Makes a big difference in post op pain of that sort, which is typically the worst part of laparoscopic surgery. I use such a system where I operate, has made for a significant reduction in post operative pain.

If it is just inflamed and not ruptured and there is no peritonitis, recovery should be a snap.

Def feel some gas moving around. The surgery was done at OLOL so idk if they have the system you speak of.