Kiran Rao Undergoes Appendix Surgery: What Is Appendicitis, Symptoms to Watch For, and Recovery Explained

Kiran

Rao recently underwent an appendix surgery, informing her followers that she is on her way to recovery. In her social media post, the 52-year-old filmmaker wrote, "Here I was, all ready to party my way into 2026, when my appendix sent me a reminder to slow down, breathe deep, and give thanks. Immense gratitude for modern medicine (I still can’t understand how that whole 12 mm diameter appendix came out through a 10.5 mm catheter; thank God I’m not a doctor).”

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What is appendicitis?

Appendicitis is an inflamed appendix, which can cause acute, sudden, intense pain in your lower abdomen. Your appendix is a small, tubular pouch, about the size of a finger, that protrudes from the lower right end of your large intestine. Poop moving through your large intestine can block or infect your appendix, leading to inflammation, which causes your appendix to swell, and when it swells, it can burst. According to doctors, a burst appendix is a medical emergency, as it can spread bacteria from inside your bowels throughout your abdominal cavity. This infection spreads to your bloodstream, which leads to life-threatening complications, including sepsis. Due to the risk, the standard treatment for appendicitis is to remove the appendix with an appendectomy.

What causes appendicitis?

Doctors say the size and location of your appendix make it easy for it to become clogged and infected. Since your large intestine is home to many bacteria, they overgrow and cause an infection. Sometimes, appendicitis begins with an infection, and sometimes, the infection is secondary. Swelling in your appendix can reduce or close the opening and trap more bacteria inside. A few common causes of inflammation, swelling, obstruction, and infection in your appendix include:

• Hardened poop
• Lymphoid hyperplasia, which causes an infection in your lymphatic system, also leads to lymphoid tissue in your appendix to swell.
• Colitis or inflammation in your colon from an infection

Signs and symptoms of appendicitis

The most common symptoms of appendicitis are abdominal pain, nausea, and loss of appetite. According to experts, there is a typical way these symptoms may present that can make it easier to recognize appendicitis. However, doctors say only about half of people with appendicitis have the classic presentation of symptoms. Kids, elderly adults, and those who are pregnant may be less likely to present with typical symptoms. In the typical presentation, abdominal pain begins in the middle of your abdomen, around your belly button. A few other signs include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Malaise and a feeling of generally being unwell.
• Swollen belly with lots of bloating
• Urinary symptoms with an urgency to pee
• Bowel issues, which include constipation
• Diarrhoea and overactive bowels due to inflammation from your appendix are irritating the end portion of your colon, beside it.