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Appendectomy Center - Allentown, PA

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Allentown, Pennsylvania

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Appendectomy

What is the appendix?

The appendix is a closed-ended, narrow tube that attaches to the cecum (the first part of the colon) like a worm. (The anatomical name for the appendix, vermiform appendix, means worm-like appendage.) The inner lining of the appendix produces a small amount of mucus that flows through the appendix and into the cecum. The wall of the appendix contains lymphatic tissue that is part of the immune system for making antibodies. Like the rest of the colon, the wall of the appendix also contains a layer of muscle.

What is appendicitis?

Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. It is thought that appendicitis begins when the opening from the appendix into the cecum becomes blocked. The blockage may be due to a build-up of thick mucus within the appendix or to stool that enters the appendix from the cecum. The mucus or stool hardens, becomes rock-like, and blocks the opening. This rock is called a fecalith (literally, a rock of stool). At other times, the lymphatic tissue in the appendix may swell and block the appendix. Bacteria which normally are found within the appendix then begin to invade (infect) the wall of the appendix. The body responds to the invasion by mounting an attack on the bacteria, an attack called inflammation. (An alternative theory for the cause of appendicitis is an initial rupture of the appendix followed by spread of bacteria outside the appendix.. The cause of such a rupture is unclear, but it may relate to changes that occur in the lymphatic tissue that line the wall of the appendix.)

If the inflammation and infection spread through the wall of the appendix, the appendix can rupture. After rupture, infection can spread throughout the abdomen; however, it usually is confined to a small area surrounding the appendix (forming a peri-appendiceal abscess).

Sometimes, the body is successful in containing ("healing") the appendicitis with...

Recommended Reading Related to Appendectomy

The Digestive System »

Digestion Introduction

"Just a spoonful of sugar... " goes the song. But what happens to that sugar once you swallow it? In fact, how is it that you are able to swallow it at all? Your digestive system performs amazing feats every day, whether you eat a double cheeseburger or a stalk of celery. Read on to learn what exactly happens to food as it makes its way through your digestive system.

What Is Digestion?

Digestion is the complex process of turning the food you eat into the energy you need to survive. The digestion process also involves creating waste to be eliminated.

The digestive tract (or gut) is a long twisting tube that starts at the mouth and ends at the anus. It is made up of a series of muscles that coordinate the movement of food and other cells that produce enzymes and hormones to aid in the breakdown of food. Along the way are three other organs that are needed for digestion: the liver, gallbladder, and the ...

Emergency Contact for Allentown

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Allentown Hospitals *

Lehigh Valley Hospital 17th & Chew Streets
17th & Chew Sts
Allentown, PA 18105
(610)402-8000

Sacred Heart Hospital
421 Chew St
Allentown, PA 18102
(610)776-4500

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Allentown
850 S 5th St
Allentown, PA 18103
(610)776-3120

St Luke's Hospital Allentown Campus
1736 Hamilton St
Allentown, PA 18104
(610)770-8300

Allentown State Hospital
1600 Hanover Ave
Allentown, PA 18109
(610)740-3200

Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest
Cedar Crest & I-78
Allentown, PA 18105
(610)402-8000

St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem Campus
801 Ostrum St
Bethlehem, PA 18015
(610)954-4000

Westfield Hospital
510 Delaware Ave
Bethlehem, PA 18015
(610)866-6614

Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg Center
2545 Schoenersville Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18017
(610)402-8000

Good Shepherd Home Bethlehem
2855 Schoenersville Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18017
(610)807-5600

KidsPeace Children's Hospital
5300 Kids Peace Dr
Orefield, PA 18069
(610)799-8800

St Luke's Quakertown Hospital
1021 Park Ave
Quakertown, PA 18951
(215)538-4500

Easton Hospital
250 S 21st St
Easton, PA 18042
(610)250-4000

Triumph Hospital Easton
250 S 21st St
Easton, PA 18042
(610)250-4724

Blue Mountain Health System Palmerton Campus
135 Lafayette Ave
Palmerton, PA 18071
(610)826-3141

Warren Hospital
185 Roseberry St
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865
(908)859-6700

Grand View Hospital
700 Lawn Ave
Sellersville, PA 18960
(215)453-4000

Blue Mountain Health System Gnaden Huetten Campus
211 N 12th St
Lehighton, PA 18235
(610)377-1300

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center
1600 E High St
Pottstown, PA 19464
(610)327-7000

Central Montgomery Medical Center
100 Medical Campus Dr
Lansdale, PA 19446
(215)368-2100

Foundations Behavioral Health
833 E Butler Ave
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215)345-0444

Doylestown Hospital
595 W State St
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215)345-2200

St Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital
360 W Ruddle St
Coaldale, PA 18218
(570)645-2131

Senator Garret W Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital
200 Sanitorium Rd
Glen Gardner, NJ 08826
(908)537-2141

St Joseph Medical Center
2500 Bernville Rd
Reading, PA 19605
(610)378-2000

Eagleville Hospital
100 Eagleville Rd
Eagleville, PA 19408
(610)539-6000

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital at Pocono Medical Center
206 E Brown St
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
(570)476-3410

Pocono Medical Center
206 E Brown St
East Stroudsburg, PA 18301
(570)421-4000

The Reading Hospital & Medical Center
6th Ave & Spruce St
Reading, PA 19612
(610)988-8000

Valley Forge Medical Center & Hospital
1033 W Germantown Pike
Norristown, PA 19403
(610)539-8500

HEALTHSOUTH Reading Rehabilitation Hospital
1623 Morgantown Rd
Reading, PA 19607
(610)796-6000

Hunterdon Medical Center
2100 Wescott Dr
Flemington, NJ 08822
(908)788-6100

Montgomery County Emergency Service
50 Beech Dr
Norristown, PA 19403
(610)279-6100

Mercy Suburban Hospital
2701 DeKalb Pike
Norristown, PA 19401
(610)278-2000

Phoenixville Hospital
140 Nutt Rd
Phoenixville, PA 19460
(610)983-1000

Norristown State Hospital
1001 Sterigere St
Norristown, PA 19401
(610)270-1000

Horsham Clinic
722 E Butler Pike
Ambler, PA 19002
(215)643-7800

Montgomery Hospital
1301 Powell St
Norristown, PA 19401
(610)270-2000

Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital
7170 Lafayette Ave
Fort Washington, PA 19034
(215)641-5300

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