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What are the long-term effects of having your appendix removed?

Most people have no long-term effects from having an appendectomy, and their digestive systems function normally.  

Less commonly, patients can develop an infection at the incision site. If you notice a fever or any redness or pus at the skin surface of your incision, you should contact your surgeon for further evaluation.

Sometimes an infection or abscess can develop internally at the site of the appendix removal. You may develop a fever or worsening abdominal pain. This should be reported to your doctor.   

If you have significant constipation or diarrhea, contact your doctor since this can be a sign of a bowel obstruction, and further evaluation may be necessary.

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* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

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