Question:
Why is necessary to remove the appendix during the DS?

   — davesband1 (posted on October 12, 2004)

October 11, 2004
Hi Adrian, We have the same surgeon and I did have the DS. You may want to post this question at the DS Forum site on OH. They have some very knowledgable men and women on that site that have done lots of research about the DS. My best, Lyric
   — Lyric

October 11, 2004
Most of the time, during ANY surgery, the doc will remove your appendix. It is a useless thing anyway.
   — Delores S.

October 12, 2004
It is not necessary to remove the appendix. Some surgeons prefer to take it out because they believe it serves no useful function, but many leave it in. Contrary to erroneous beliefs, there is now evidence the appendix has some important functions I will not get into here. But if you are interested, you may do a websearch on any search engine and come up with valuable information on the appendix. <p>Now, as far as whether your appendix stays or goes, you SHOULD be the final authority on it. After all, you are the customer (patient) and the surgeon should abide by your wishes. If you want to keep your appendix, you must make your decision known to your surgeon and require he/she abide by it. I had the DS 3 years ago and my surgeon left my appendix in. I've never had a problem with it and am very glad I still have it.
   — artistmama

October 12, 2004
1) Most surgeons who have to enter the abdominal cavity for ANY reason will try to remove the appendix while they're in there -- it serves no known purpose, and when it goes bad, it is almost always a medical emergency, even a life-threatening one -- if it bursts before it's diagnosed, you can die. 2) In particular after the DS, if you have abdominal pain, the surgeon would prefer to not have to rule out appendicitis in his differential diagnosis, especially since after any surgery, there is a higher risk of intestinal kinks, intraabdominal hernia, kidney stones and other serious problems. Not having an appendix makes this easier. 3) Because appendicitis is fairly common, and you have already had abdominal surgery, you will have more adhesions to deal with for a later appendectomy; furthermore, if you have appendicitis later, a surgeon who doesn't know what's been done to your anatomy might have problems figuring out what's going on inside you. I had had three previous abdominal surgeries before my DS, and in two of those surgeries, the surgeons unsuccessfully attempted to remove my appendix -- they couldn't find it! Prior to the DS, I had had a barium enema to try to make sure my IBS wasn't something else more serious -- on those films, my wayward appendix showed up way up under my liver, in my upper right rather than lower right quadrant. Using those films as a roadmap, Dr. Rabkin managed to locate and remove my appendix laparoscopically, even though it added an hour to my procedure because of the difficulty in finding it -- it was that important to him to do so. Diana
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 12, 2004
Contrary to popular belief doctors do not regularly take out the appendix. Remember the old adage - "if it ain't broke don't fix it"? (I know, I know ain't isn't a real word, but that is how the phrase goes!) Insurance companies will not pay for a proceedure just because the doctor is inside of a person and the doctor thinks - oh well I might as well take the appendix out while I am in here. I have had two different doctors go inside of me several times and my appendix is still there. Generally, an appendix goes bad on a person when they are in their early years, meaning teens through mid twentys. After that it is pretty rare. Are you mixing it up with the fact that some surgeons will take out the gall bladder on a regular basis because of the higher rate of gall stones PO?
   — ChristineB

October 12, 2004
Hi Adrian, I had a DS 3.5 yrs. ago and my appendix wasn't removed. I don't think this is standard. It may well be for your Dr. to which I would pose this question. I did have my gallbladder removed but that's because it wasn't functioning right prior to surgery.
   — Linda M.

October 13, 2004
Most surgeons do not remove the appendix, they don't get reimbursed for removing it unless it is medically necessary to remove it. Other wise mine would have been gone several times over now, and it is still there. I work as an RN in a hospital and I have not ever seen any one have their appendix removed "just because we are in there"
   — **willow**