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 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 ...

Generally treated as a medical emergency, appendicitis can leave a person doubled over in agony. The most common symptom is abdominal pain, explains Dr. Martin Zielinski, a surgeon trained in critical ...

“I'm sure we're going to find out one day that the brain is as worthless as the appendix.” —Scott McClanahan The poor, maligned appendix. That worm-like accessory dangling from our intestines has long ...

“I told the doctors my medical history and was ready for the usual ‘we don't know how to help’ treatment,” Mosser told Newsweek.