Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is expected to have surgery Wednesday for acute appendicitis.
The team confirmed that McCarthy felt abdominal pain Wednesday morning "that warranted further evaluation" and that the diagnosis was of an acute appendicitis.
The Cowboys said McCarthy will undergo surgery Wednesday afternoon and is expected to be released sometime Wednesday.
According to the team, McCarthy intends to coach the Cowboys against the Eagles on NBC's Sunday Night Football at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
An appendectomy, or surgery to remove the appendix when it is infected, is considered major surgery, but also routine.
We asked Dr. Morgan Collom, vice chair of surgery at Medical City Plano, whether the team's timeline for McCarthy's return is ambitious.
"No, because I did it. I had my appendix out last year and I went back to work two days later. It definitely doesn't feel great. You're in a little bit of pain and it's hurting, it feels like you did a lot of ab workouts, a lot of crunches, but you're just sore," said Dr. Collom.
Appendicitis is the inflammation or infection of the appendix. It's a vestigial organ meaning it's not useful.
"It's actually the number one general surgery performed in the U.S.," said Dr. Collom.
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The team said the Cowboys' three coordinators will run practice until McCarthy returns.
"We certainly expect him to be rocking by gameday again," said defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
The typical recovery time from an appendix surgery is only a few days, as long as the appendix has not burst. If the appendix has burst, recovery time can be longer.
