General surgery of childhood
- What
- Inflammation of the appendix, and one of the most common reasons for emergency surgery in children. About 10,000 children a year in England have their appendix removed.
- Spot it
- Pain that moves to the right lower abdomen, loss of appetite, vomiting and fever.
- Under 5s
- Often present atypically, and are more likely to have perforated by the time they're diagnosed.
- Treatment
- Appendicectomy, now most often done by keyhole surgery in England (about 8 in 10).
Source: GIRFT
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