Abscess - Intra Abdominal Treatment

What are the Possible Causes?

You can get abdominal abscesses if you have:

• Pelvic infection
• Parasite infection
• A burst appendix, intestine or ovary
• Infection in your gallbladder, pancreas
• Infection in your ovary or other organs

Your chances of getting abdominal abscess are more if you have:

• Perforated ulcer disease
• Surgery in your belly area
• Weakened immune system
• Germs may pass through your blood to an organ in your belly

What are the Observable Symptoms?

• Fever
• Belly pain
• Lack of appetite
• Feeling mass in the belly
• Malnourishment
• Nausea and vomiting
• Chest pain and shoulder pain
• Change in bowel movements
• Rectal tenderness or feeling of fullness

How the Diagnosis is Made?

• Ultrasound
  An abdominal ultrasound utilises sound waves to make a photo of the inside organs to see the size of an abdominal abscess. The doctor will make you lie on a table with your abdomen exposed. An ultrasound technician will apply a clear, water-based gel to the skin over the abdomen. Then, the abdomen will be scanned thoroughly with the help of transducer.
• Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan
  CT scan makes a 3-dimensional photo of the body from inside, utilising x-rays taken from various points. A PC joins these pictures into a point by point, cross-sectional view that demonstrates any anomalies or tumours. In some cases, a unique colour called a differentiation medium is given before the output to provide better detail on the picture. A CT scan can display ruptures, localised abscesses, organs, abdominal growths, and foreign objects in the body.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  An MRI utilises magnetic fields, not x-rays, to create itemised pictures of the body. X-ray can be used to gauge the size of the abcess. If needed, a unique colour called a complexity medium is given before the scan to make a clearer picture. This colour can be infused into a patient's vein or given as a pill to swallow. X-ray is the best imaging test to discover the location of any abscess or cancer.
• Abscess Fluid Sample Analysis
  Your doctor may extract some fluid from the abscess using a syringe. The extracted liquid is examined to make a better diagnosis.

The Treatment Procedure for the Removal of Abdominal Abscesses

Usually, the first step in treating an abdominal abscess is draining it with a needle. The procedure takes barely 15-20 minutes, and the recovery is immediate.

The doctor will directly insert a needle through your skin and into the abscess. Your doctor will then pull the plunger to remove the infected fluid. Once the abscess is drained, your doctor will send the drainage sample to the lab for analysis. Studying the sample will help in determining the appropriate antibiotic.

The doctor may also recommend intravenous antibiotics to treat the abdominal abscess.

Why the Surgery for Abscess Removal is Done?

• To thoroughly clean the abscess
• If the abscess can’t be drained with a needle
• If the abscess has ruptured
• If the abscess is huge

Your doctor will give you general anaesthesia to put you to sleep throughout the surgery. During the procedure, the surgeon will cut the abdomen and locate the abscess. They’ll then clean the abscess and attach a drain to it so pus can drain out. The pipe will stay in place until the abscess heals. This usually takes several days or weeks.

What is the Prognosis?

The removal of abscess pus through a syringe takes barely 15-20 minutes. The surgical procedure may take up to an hour depending on the size and location of the tumour. The recovery is immediate and the patient can go home after the procedure.