Do we need an appendix? Why it could be useful, how to know if yours is inflamed, and history of the ‘useless’ organ
Doctors are starting to see links between the loss of the appendix and diseases such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease, though much about the organ remains a mystery
We are all born with an appendix. But we can quite easily live, and function well, without it. Many of us have it surgically removed – as I have done.
For years, the appendix has been considered a purposeless organ left over from our evolutionary past without a useful function. Worse still, it can lead to appendicitis if it becomes inflamed and infected, and must be surgically removed.
But is this 10cm (4 inch) organ actually worth our time?
It seems the answer is yes, according to research done over the past decade claiming the appendix does, indeed, serve a purpose, and that we should not be so hasty in discarding it.
Dr Paul Ng, a Hong Kong-based specialist in gastroenterology and hepatology, says that doctors are beginning to see links between the loss of the appendix and certain diseases. Most notable is chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
