Appendectomy Help

[LWTW]

I'm hoping there is someone who can point me in the right direction or offer advice on how to proceed with this situation.
My husband had an appendectomy in August, was obviously in a lot of pain post op but had started to feel better. About 3 -4 weeks after the op he started having similar localised pain to the appendicitis which has been getting progressively worse.
He has seen the GP at least once a week since symptoms returned and also been back to the hospital. The hospital do not seem concerned as infection markers are low and his appendix was removed. There was a slight improvement after a course of antibiotics but he has been in increasing pain since finishing the course.
The GP has him on a further course of antibiotics but no one seems to know what's wrong with him? And the surgical department have given him little trust in their care as the doctors he had seen haven't appeared to listen or acknowledge there is a problem.
I am trying to support my husband but don't know how to do this. He is clearly in a lot of pain and struggling to walk about the house.

Have they evaluated him for a bowel obstruction? After infection, that's a common post op complication.

Thats for your reply. Everything "working" as it should. He's had an ultrasound that confirmed that but it couldn't see the appendix site. I feel it's important that even when he presented with appendicitis his blood work and obs didn't show there was anything wrong, they operated based on his acute pain and confirmed appendicitis after the op

If they've ruled out a bowel obstruction and infection then surgical damage to an adjacent organ is the only thing that comes to mind.

Can he be referred to a gastroenterologist?

Possibly. I think you've touched on our concern, that there is something serious going on but we are hitting a brick wall to have the pain investigated.

After my appendectomy I became really ill with a severe wound infection. It was only oozing minimally but the internal infection was significant. I was disorientated with a high temperature, stripping off in a cold December. I had to take metronidazole and coamoxiclav which made me feel equally horrendous, whilst at the same time having treatment externally with iodine patches onto the wound. However, I don't recall pain as such.

My op was rushed in that I was close to perforating so apparently infection and risk chances whack up.

Have you asked for his notes?

Was it a laparoscopic appendectomy or did they just cut through the abdomen wall to do it? Is the pain constant or worse when he moves?

I'd seek a gastroenterologist to evaluate him endoscopically. If that turns up nothing see another surgeon. He might need an exploratory surgery to determine what's going on.

It was laparoscopic surgery. He is in pretty much constant pain now, although it worsens to a stabbing by type pain if he is moving about. His gp emailed the surgery team that performed the operation early last week but hadn't responded when he was in yesterday. Should we return to the GP and push for an urgent referral? And who to?

I'm a Yank and am fuzzy on how all of this works with the NHS, but if you can get the surgeons to get him in for an evaluation that would certainly be a step in the right direction. This should all be part of his post operative care.

Has he been discharged (from follow up?) by the surgeons? If so it seems odd in light of the fact that he was having problems so soon after surgery.

If he hasn’t been discharged I would have thought he shouldn’t need a further referral but should be seen in clinic. I am still under surgical care after emergency colorectal surgery a year ago, as I have complications which are likely to require further surgery. Because I was never quite “right” afterwards I stayed in the system.

(NB I am a patient not HCP, so happy to be contradicted by those who know better).

He was discharged from hospital with no follow up plans. It was a routine op with recovery stated at 2-3 weeks. At the 2-3 week mark he was feeling much better, but right after that the pain started to return. It is very similar to the appendix pain he had previously, however the longer it's gone on the worse the pain has become. We're in Scotland if it makes a difference

I think I'd be taking him to a&e in the hospital he was operated in

They need to investigate what's causing this

I had a burst appendix & I recovered in 3 weeks