DEAR DOCTOR K: Why do doctors remove the appendix when someone has appendicitis? Don’t we need this organ? DEAR READER: Appendicitis is an inflammation of the appendix. This small, fingerlike tube ...

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 ...

Maris Racal said she is now on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery for appendicitis. Racal shared a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed, holding a stuffed toy as she thanked her doctors ...

That sudden pain in your abdomen might just be indigestion—or it could be something far more serious. When it comes to appendicitis, knowing the difference could save your life. This potentially ...