Most people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast. That basic ...

For a first-year surgical resident, the appendix (specifically, it’s removal) represents a prized surgical operation. For trained surgeons, the appendectomy is usually an urgent affair that requires ...

A tiny organ plays a larger role in maintaining health than previously thought. The appendix is often dismissed as an unnecessary organ. But Brigham and Women’s Hospital researchers found it plays a ...

For years, the appendix carried a reputation as the body’s most pointless organ. Doctors often removed it without hesitation, and textbooks labeled it a vestigial structure—something our ancestors ...

Untreated appendicitis may cause your appendix to rupture (burst), resulting in an infection. Symptoms associated with a ruptured appendix include severe abdominal pain, fever, chills, and weakness.