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Appendectomy Center - Highlands Ranch, CO

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Highlands Ranch, Colorado

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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 Highlands Ranch

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Highlands Ranch Hospitals *

Highlands Behavioral Health System
8565 S Poplar Way
Littleton, CO 80130
(720)348-2800

Sky Ridge Medical Center
10101 RidgeGate Pkwy
Lone Tree, CO 80124
(720)225-1000

Littleton Adventist Hospital
7700 S Broadway
Littleton, CO 80122
(303)730-8900

Centennial Medical Plaza
14200 E Arapahoe Rd
Centennial, CO 80112
(303)699-3000

Craig Hospital
3425 S Clarkson St
Englewood, CO 80113
(303)789-8000

Swedish Medical Center
501 E Hampden Ave
Englewood, CO 80113
(303)788-5000

Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan
3520 W Oxford Ave
Denver, CO 80236
(303)761-0220

Porter Adventist Hospital
2525 S Downing St
Denver, CO 80210
(303)778-1955

Select Specialty Hospital Denver South
2525 S Downing St
Denver, CO 80210
(303)765-6576

Parker Adventist Hospital
9395 Crown Crest Blvd
Parker, CO 80138
(303)269-4000

The Medical Center of Aurora South Campus
1501 S Potomac St
Aurora, CO 80012
(303)695-2600

Denver Health Medical Center
777 Bannock St
Denver, CO 80204
(303)436-6000

Rose Medical Center
4567 E Nineth Ave
Denver, CO 80220
(303)320-2121

University of Colorado Hospital Denver
4200 E Nineth Ave
Denver, CO 80262
(303)372-0000

Denver VA Medical Center
1055 Clermont St
Denver, CO 80220
(303)399-8020

National Jewish Medical and Research Center
1400 Jackson St
Denver, CO 80206
(800)652-9555

Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital
1835 Franklin St
Denver, CO 80218
(303)837-7111

Kindred Hospital Denver
1920 High St
Denver, CO 80218
(303)320-5871

Presbyterian St Luke's Medical Center
1719 E 19th Ave
Denver, CO 80218
(303)839-6000

Select Specialty Hospital Denver
1719 E 19th Ave
Denver, CO 80218
(303)563-3700

The Medical Center of Aurora North Campus
700 Potomac St
Aurora, CO 80011
(303)695-2600

Triumph Hospital Aurora
700 Potomac St
Aurora, CO 80011
(720)857-8333

Colorado Acute Hospital
1601 N Lowell Blvd
Denver, CO 80204
(303)264-6900

Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital
900 Potomac St
Aurora, CO 80011
(303)367-1166

St Anthony Central Hospital
4231 W 16th Ave
Denver, CO 80204
(303)629-3511

University of Colorado Hospital Aurora Anschutz Medical Campus
12605 E 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80010
(303)372-0000

The Children's Hospital
13123 E 16th Ave
Aurora, CO 80045
(720)777-1234

Exempla West Pines Hospital
3400 Lutheran Pkwy
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
(303)467-4000

Exempla Lutheran Medical Center
8300 W 38th Ave
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
(303)425-4500

North Valley Hospital
8451 Pearl St
Thornton, CO 80229
(303)288-3000

St Anthony North Hospital
2551 W 84th Ave
Westminster, CO 80031
(303)426-2151

North Suburban Medical Center
9191 Grant St
Thornton, CO 80229
(303)451-7800

Platte Valley Medical Center
1600 Prairie Center Pkwy
Brighton, CO 80601
(303)498-1600

Centennial Peaks Hospital
2255 S 88th St
Louisville, CO 80027
(303)673-9990

Avista Adventist Hospital
100 Health Park Dr
Louisville, CO 80027
(303)673-1000

Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center
200 Exempla Cir
Lafayette, CO 80026
(303)689-4000

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