What is an appendicitis misdiagnosis claim?

The appendix is a small pouch that's joined to your bowel and can be found in the lower right side of your abdomen. Appendicitis occurs when there is swelling and infection in your appendix. It usually causes pain and needs urgent treatment in hospital. It is not known exactly what causes appendicitis, but the organ itself does not have any known function and removing it should not cause any harm. It is a very common condition, affecting roughly 50,000 people every year. It can affect anyone, though is most common in people aged between 10 and 30 years.

When appendicitis is diagnosed and treated quickly, a full recovery is very common. Unfortunately, early symptoms can sometimes be missed, or misinterpreted. This can lead to a delay in treatment, which can result in severe complications such as a burst or ruptured appendix, sepsis, or even death.

As appendicitis shares symptoms with some other abdominal conditions, it can often be misidentified as things like:

• Gastroenteritis (a stomach bug)
• Severe irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• A bladder infection
• A urinary tract infection (UTI)
• Constipation

No one should have to suffer the consequences of negligent treatment. If you or a loved one has suffered avoidable harm due to delayed or misdiagnosed appendicitis, you could be entitled to make a clam for compensation.

What are the symptoms of appendicitis and how should it be treated?

Diagnosing appendicitis isn’t always straightforward as only around half of all cases present with typical symptoms. Some of these symptoms include:

• A pain that starts in the middle of your stomach that comes and goes, before moving to your lower right-hand side and becoming constant and more severe
• Nausea (feeling sick)
• Vomiting
• A loss of appetite
• A high temperature and flushed face
• Constipation or diarrhoea

Treatment for appendicitis generally involves surgical removal. It is a very common operation known as an appendicectomy or appendectomy, and in the majority of cases it goes very well. The surgery is performed under general anaesthetic and will either be:

• Keyhole surgery: if possible, your doctor will usually prefer to remove your appendix through keyhole surgery as recovery is much quicker. It involves a few small incisions in your abdomen to allow surgical equipment, including a small camera, to be inserted.
• Open surgery: this is used if your appendix has already burst, or if you’ve previously had open abdominal surgery, and involves a single larger cut. It can take 4 to 6 weeks to fully recovery from open surgery.

Can I make an appendicitis claim?

To make a claim for appendicitis misdiagnosis or delay, you’ll need to prove that there has been a breach in the duty of care owed to you by your doctor. You’ll also need to be able to prove that their negligence directly caused you illness or injury.

To do this, we’ll help you collect the evidence you need to support your claim, including medical records, witness statements and independent expert evidence.

Why should I choose Slater and Gordon?

At Slater and Gordon, our medical negligence solicitors have many years’ experience in handling a range of cases, from the straightforward to the complex. We work hard to ensure our clients not only achieve the best financial outcome but can rest easy throughout the process knowing everything is well taken care of.

Our industry-leading team are consistently ranked highly in independent legal directories, such as Chambers and Partners, and the Legal 500, and are proud to have helped numerous clients achieve the compensation they deserve.

Our team members also include trained nurses and medical professionals who provide expert knowledge, helping us to secure the best possible outcomes and allowing our clients to focus on their recovery.