What to do if you have appendicitis during pregnancy

Many people know that the body is very special during pregnancy, and you need to be especially careful when taking any medication. If you use drugs that are harmful to the fetus, the chance of fetal malformation is very high. If you can't take drugs, then surgery is even more impossible. But what should you do if you accidentally get appendicitis at this time? Let's take a look at it together:

1. Treatment of acute appendicitis in early pregnancy

Early pregnancy usually refers to weeks one to twelve of pregnancy. Acute appendicitis in early pregnancy should be treated surgically regardless of the severity of the clinical manifestations. At this time, there is little interference to the uterus and it will not affect the continued pregnancy. If surgery is performed only when the disease recurs in the middle or late stages of pregnancy, it will increase the difficulty of the operation and may be dangerous to the mother and child.

2. Treatment of acute appendicitis during mid-pregnancy

The second trimester of pregnancy is between 12 and 24 weeks. For patients with acute appendicitis in mid-pregnancy whose clinical manifestations are mild and who refuse surgery, non-surgical treatment can be used with high-dose intravenous penicillin or ampicillin. If the disease progresses and cannot be controlled, surgical treatment should be performed. At this point the embryo has already fixed, the surgery will not interfere much with the uterus, miscarriage is unlikely, and the pregnancy can continue. It is generally believed that the best time to perform appendectomy surgery is between 4 and 6 months of pregnancy.

3. Treatment of acute appendicitis in late pregnancy

Twenty-four weeks later is the third trimester of pregnancy. Acute appendicitis in late pregnancy should be treated surgically. Even if the surgical stimulation causes premature birth, the vast majority of babies can survive. The operation has little impact on pregnant women.

(1) When a pregnant woman suffers from appendicitis, the inflammation can easily spread. The toxins produced by the bacteria can affect the fetus through the blood, causing fetal hypoxia and, in severe cases, fetal death. At the same time, the inflamed appendix can also directly stimulate the uterus, causing uterine contractions and resulting in premature birth or miscarriage.

(2) During pregnancy, the pelvic organs of pregnant women become congested and appendicitis develops rapidly, resulting in a high rate of appendicitis perforation and necrosis, with a reported rate of over 30% in China.

(3) As pregnancy progresses, the enlarged uterus can compress and push the cecum, appendix, and ascending colon, causing blood circulation obstruction, weakened peristalsis, and easy accumulation of feces. Therefore, once obstruction occurs in the appendix cavity, it is difficult to relieve itself. (4) In late pregnancy, the enlarged uterus pushes the greater omentum to one side, blocking the movement of the greater omentum and preventing it from wrapping the inflamed appendix. Therefore, the inflammation after appendix perforation is not easy to localize and often leads to severe diffuse peritonitis. (5) After a pregnant woman gives birth or has a premature baby, the contraction of the uterus can cause the previously localized inflammation to spread rapidly.

Therefore, after knowing the dangers and treatments of this disease, if you get this disease during pregnancy, you also need to be treated, otherwise it will cause some unnecessary harm to your body. Appendicitis can transform from an acute disease to a chronic disease, so treatment must be timely and taken seriously.