General and Laparoscopic Surgery
Appendicectomy in Nigeria
The inflamed appendix is removed, usually by keyhole surgery through three small cuts, and most people go home after one night. Appendicitis does not wait for an appointment: pain that starts around the navel and settles low on the right, with fever or vomiting, needs an emergency department today, not a booking.
Also called: Appendectomy, Appendix surgery, Laparoscopic appendicectomy, Appendicitis operation
Medically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
Published price
₦1,300,000
Fixed all-in case rate, keyhole appendicectomy
One night in hospital included.
What the price covers
- Surgeon and assistant fees
- Anaesthetist and theatre time
- Standard consumables for the operation
- Your bed for the expected stay
- Routine medication while you are admitted
- The post-operative review at six weeks
What it does not cover
- The first consultation and the tests that confirm you need the operation
- Treating conditions found during work-up, such as uncontrolled diabetes or an untreated infection
- Take-home medication after discharge
- Care for complications needing intensive care or a return to theatre
Related prices
Perforated appendix or abscess
Only known once the surgeon sees the appendix, and explained to you afterwards.
₦1,700,000
What would change this price
- A perforated appendix or an abscess, priced separately above
- Conversion from keyhole to open surgery, which is a safety decision and not a failure
- A stay longer than the expected one night
- A different cause for the pain found at operation, such as an ovarian cyst, which is dealt with and explained to you
If an HMO is paying, the case needs prior authorisation before admission. Bring your HMO number to the first consultation and the desk will start it. If the plan declines, you are told the cash price before anything is booked.
Who this is for
- Appendicitis confirmed by examination, blood tests and a scan
- Pain that began around the navel and moved to the lower right abdomen, with fever, loss of appetite or vomiting
- An appendix abscess that has settled on antibiotics, removed weeks later as a planned operation
- Repeated attacks of right-sided pain where appendicitis has been confirmed before
When it is not the right answer
- Abdominal pain that has not been examined, because several conditions mimic appendicitis, particularly in women
- Some adults with mild appendicitis confirmed on a scan, who may be offered antibiotics first after an honest talk about the higher chance of it coming back
- Long-standing vague abdominal pain without evidence of appendicitis, which needs a diagnosis rather than an operation
The pathway, step by step
- 1
Same-day assessment₦35,000
Examination, a blood count and an ultrasound or CT scan. Appendicitis is diagnosed by the surgeon's examination, and the scan supports it.
- 2
Bloods and anaesthetic review
Done in the same visit, before theatre.
- 3
The operation
About an hour under general anaesthetic, usually by keyhole through three small cuts.
- 4
One night in hospital
Eating and walking the same evening or the next morning.
- 5
Review after surgery₦25,000
Wound check and the histology result, which is looked at on every appendix removed.
Recovery, realistically
Days 1 to 3
Sore around the small cuts, and sometimes pain at the shoulder tip from the gas used in keyhole surgery. Walking helps both.
Week 1 to 2
Desk work within one to two weeks. No heavy lifting.
Week 2 to 4
Normal activity, including driving once you can brake hard without pain.
After four weeks
Sport and heavy lifting. Longer after a perforated appendix or open surgery.
Risks you should be told about
- Wound infection, more likely when the appendix had burst
- A collection of pus inside the abdomen, which may need draining
- Bleeding
- Conversion to open surgery
- Injury to the bowel or bladder, rare
Every operation carries risk. A surgeon who lists none is not being straight with you. Yours will go through these with you before you consent.
Questions people ask
Can appendicitis be treated with antibiotics instead?
In some adults with mild appendicitis confirmed on a scan, yes, and you should be told that option exists. The appendix comes back as a problem in a significant share of people treated that way, and antibiotics are not suitable if it has burst or there is a hard stone in it.
What happens if it bursts?
Infection spreads inside the abdomen, the operation is longer, and the stay and antibiotics run for days rather than one night. That is why it should not wait, and why a burst appendix is priced separately rather than hidden.
Do I need my appendix?
No. People live normally without it.
Why is there a fixed price for an emergency?
Because the operation is the same whether it is planned or not. What changes the cost is what the surgeon finds, and that one outlier is published above.
Prices shown are Mezo cash prices in naira and were last checked on 11 October 2026. They are what you would be quoted for the standard case described here. Your final quote follows an examination, because the right operation for you may not be this one.