Post Surgical Follow-up Letter

Diagnosis: Acute Appendicitis CT Scan: Confirmed inflamed appendix Blood Tests: Elevated white blood cell count, C-reactive protein elevated, normal liver function tests. Plan: Laparoscopic appendectomy. Post-operative antibiotics. It was a pleasure to meet you this morning in the Emergency Surgery Ambulatory Care (ESAC) clinic. You were accompanied by your spouse. You present with a 2-day history of severe abdominal pain. You tell me the pain started around your navel and then moved to the lower right side of your abdomen. It was associated with nausea but has not affected your appetite. You are also telling me that you've had a mild fever. Your past medical history comprises hypertension, and you currently take Lisinopril for this. You're also taking Metformin for type 2 diabetes. On examination today, you appeared in moderate distress and were ambulatory with difficulty. Your BMI was approximately 28 (85 kg). The abdominal examination disclosed tenderness in the right lower quadrant with rebound tenderness. I see that recent blood tests have shown leukocytosis. It also showed elevated C-reactive protein. An abdominal ultrasound scan today was inconclusive and in particular showed no gallstones. We are awaiting surgical clearance. In the meantime, I have reassured you that the surgery is routine and typically has a quick recovery. You may benefit from a follow-up ultrasound to ensure no complications post-surgery. We'll keep you updated with regards to your surgery schedule.