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Appendectomy Center - Dundalk, MD

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Dundalk, Maryland

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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 Dundalk

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Dundalk Hospitals *

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
4940 Eastern Ave
Baltimore, MD 21224
(410)550-0100

Johns Hopkins Hospital
600 N Wolfe St
Baltimore, MD 21287
(410)955-5000

Kennedy Krieger Institute
707 N Broadway
Baltimore, MD 21205
(443)923-9200

Franklin Square Hospital Center
9000 Franklin Square Dr
Rosedale, MD 21237
(443)777-7000

Harbor Hospital Center
3001 S Hanover St
Baltimore, MD 21225
(410)350-3200

University Specialty Hospital
601 S Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21230
(410)547-8500

Mercy Medical Center
301 Saint Paul Pl
Baltimore, MD 21202
(410)332-9000

Baltimore VA Medical Center
10 N Greene St
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410)605-7000

University of Maryland Medical Center
22 S Greene St
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410)328-8667

Maryland General Hospital
827 Linden Ave
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410)225-8000

Union Memorial Hospital
201 E University Pkwy
Baltimore, MD 21218
(410)554-2000

Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland
5601 Loch Raven Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21239
(443)444-8000

Bon Secours Baltimore Health System
2000 W Baltimore St
Baltimore, MD 21223
(410)362-3000

Saint Agnes Hospital
900 Caton Ave
Baltimore, MD 21229
(410)368-6000

St Joseph Medical Center
7601 Osler Dr
Towson, MD 21204
(410)337-1000

Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center & Hospital
2434 W Belvedere Ave
Baltimore, MD 21215
(410)466-8700

Mt Washington Pediatric Hospital
1708 W Rogers Ave
Baltimore, MD 21209
(410)578-8600

Sinai Hospital of Baltimore
2401 W Belvedere Ave
Baltimore, MD 21215
(410)601-9000

Sheppard Pratt Health System
6501 N Charles St
Towson, MD 21204
(410)938-3000

Greater Baltimore Medical Center
6701 N Charles St
Towson, MD 21204
(443)849-2000

Baltimore Washington Medical Center
301 Hospital Dr
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
(410)787-4000

Kernan Hospital
2200 Kernan Dr
Gwynn Oak, MD 21207
(410)448-2500

Spring Grove Hospital Center
55 Wade Ave
Catonsville, MD 21228
(410)402-6000

Sheppard Pratt at Ellicott City
4100 College Ave
Ellicott City, MD 21041
(443)364-5500

Northwest Hospital
5401 Old Court Rd
Randallstown, MD 21133
(410)521-2200

Anne Arundel Medical Center
2001 Medical Pkwy
Annapolis, MD 21401
(443)481-1000

Upper Chesapeake Medical Center
500 Upper Chesapeake Dr
Bel Air, MD 21014
(443)643-1000

Howard County General Hospital
5755 Cedar Ln
Columbia, MD 21044
(410)740-7890

Upper Shore Community Mental Health Center
300 Scheeler Rd
Chestertown, MD 21620
(410)778-6800

Laurel Regional Hospital
7300 Van Dusen Rd
Laurel, MD 20707
(301)725-4300

Chester River Hospital Center
100 Brown St
Chestertown, MD 21620
(410)778-3300

Springfield Hospital Center
6655 Sykesville Rd
Sykesville, MD 21784
(410)970-7000

Doctors Community Hospital
8118 Good Luck Rd
Lanham, MD 20706
(301)552-8118

Harford Memorial Hospital
501 S Union Ave
Havre de Grace, MD 21078
(443)843-5000

Perry Point VA Medical Center
Circle Dr
Perry Point, MD 21902
(410)642-2411

Montgomery General Hospital
18101 Prince Philip Dr
Olney, MD 20832
(301)774-8882

Prince George's Hospital Center
3001 Hospital Dr
Cheverly, MD 20785
(301)618-2000

Gladys Spellman Specialty Hospital
2900 Mercy Ln
Cheverly, MD 20785
(301)618-2010

Carroll Hospital Center
200 Memorial Ave
Westminster, MD 21157
(410)848-3000

Washington Adventist Hospital
7600 Carroll Ave
Takoma Park, MD 20912
(301)891-7600

Holy Cross Hospital
1500 Forest Glen Rd
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301)754-7000

The HSC Pediatric Center
1731 Bunker Hill Rd NE
Washington, DC 20017
(202)832-4400

Providence Hospital
1150 Varnum St NE
Washington, DC 20017
(202)269-7000

Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Ave NW
Washington, DC 20307
(202)782-3501

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