Directory:Ask the Doctors

Appendectomy:

Surgical removal of the appendix.

Appendix:

The worm-shaped pouch near the beginning of the large intestine.

Computed tomography (CT) scan:

A procedure by which X rays are directed at a patient's body from various angles and the set of photographs thus obtained assembled by a computer program.

Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan:

Another name for a computed tomography (CT) scan.

Laparoscopy:

A procedure in which a tube with a small light and viewing device is inserted through a small incision near the navel, allowing a surgeon to look directly into the patient's abdomen.

Laparotomy:

A surgical procedure that allows a surgeon to view the inside of the abdominal cavity.

Peritonitis:

Inflammation of the membranes that line the abdominal wall.