An operation in which the vermiform appendix is brought through the abdominal wall and opened in order to drain or decompress the intestine. It is now rarely performed, ‘ileostomy, cecostomy, or colostomy being preferred.
Surgical opening and fixation of the appendix onto the skin. The opening is employed as a vent to an obstructed colon (it is less efficient than a colostomy or cecostomy). Through the appendiceal lumen a tube can be passed to either instill medication (as in cases of colitis) or fluids (e.g., to relieve fecal impaction in infants with Hirschsprung’s disease or in the infirm elderly patient). The opening can also be used to remove foreign bodies from the intestinal lumen.