Appendix Removal

Hi All,

I have ulcerative colitis, was diagnosed 9 years ago.

I have been hospitalized twice in the last 9 months for severe pain in my abdomen, and it is coming from my appendix. They have treated me with antibiotics and it has calmed things down but I am told it should be removed. However because of my UC that area of my colon that the appendix is attached to is also inflamed and the surgeon says it makes for a tricky surgery.

I think I need to have this done as I don't want to keep dealing with these sudden attacks of extreme pain.

Any members of the group have their appendixes removed while having UC?

Hi Kazbern,

My UC is actually doing pretty good. Haven't had a real flare in some time. I take 200 mg of Imuran and am on asacol also.

Weird...my appendix is prolapsing into the cecum.

Saw it on the c-scope a few days ago. Wonder what this means for me?

Kazbern, My UC is doing better as compared to how it has been in the past, however I still have some inflammation. I am seeing some good improvement since I went on 200 mg's of Imuran a few months back.

Dude35. That sounds very similar to my initial experience. They put me on a bunch of antibiotics and it went away, however I just had a relapse after 9 months.

Should be removed right away IMO.

Thanks for all the feedback.

I'm going to talk to my doc and see about getting it out. Seems like it's a pretty easy procedure.

so if you git rid of the crapcolon, do you lose the lottery and say bye to the appy too ?

btw, hey there bgirl ! whatz shakin ???

huh, had no idea they were even in the same neighborhood ????

Having an appendectomy before age 21 is statistically protective against developing UC in the future. Not that this is really relevant (presumably everyone here already has UC) but I always found that statistic interesting.

I didn't know that the appendix had to come out with the colon until my surgeon showed me a photo of my colon after it was removed and said "there's the transverse colon... there's the ascending colon... there's the appendix..." and I was SHOCKED. Of course I get it now :)

I can understand taking steroids and antibiotics to try and keep a colon but I think I'd draw the line at chronic Flagyl use to keep a sick appendix... I don't really understand what the long game is here. If you're on 6MP, antibiotics, and high dose prednisone, but the colon is still too inflamed to remove your appendix (even though symptoms are mild), how will you ever be able to heal the appendicitis and move on? Presumably you're trying to get off the prednisone in the short-medium term, so your colon is probably about as good as it's going to get (it won't get better from tapering prednisone). Can chronic appendicitis like this just clear on its own??

katmom, was your daughter's colon inflamed at the time of surgery?

pluot, i am trying to avoid the antibiotics again!! been on them 5 times this year already and my gut doesn't like them. i am starting simponi IV infusions soon so my doctor says if that can get my UC inflammation under control, we can remove the appendix while it isn't inflamed so we can avoid the appendicitis again. that's the plan anyway... as you know, this disease is unpredictable. i just really wanna get off prednisone since i've been on it since july.

BG, I will look it up from the reports and CT when I get home tomorrow. I don't remember the word inflamed, and she was on Remi and 6mp at the time. I am guessing no, but I know they said the appendix was a mess. They didn't believe it was the problem until it was near bursting- that was a lot of misery for what should have been a quick/easy surgery.