Have you had your appendix removed?

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Have you had your appendix removed?

  • Yes

    Votes: 159 56.2%

  • No

    Votes: 124 43.8%
  • Total voters
    283
K

Keezee

Guest
Hi folks,

The appendix has long been thought of as a vestigial, or useless organ but the more research that is done the more they are finding uses for it!

“Some researchers now believe that the appendix is a “safe house” for commensal bacteria, the symbiotic germs that aid digestion and help protect against disease-causing germs.

The appendix is isolated from the rest of the gut, with an opening smaller than a pencil lead. In times of trouble, such as an infection that flushes the system, these commensal bacteria could hide out there, ready to repopulate the gut when the danger is past.

Biofilms, colonies of beneficial microbes, form in your large intestine. They aid digestion and protect against infection, while enjoying the protection and nutrition of the human host. Researchers have found biofilms on the epithelial lining of the appendix as well.”

The following is a response by Dr. Mercola:

"Another thing to keep in mind is that there is simply no way to know what OTHER subtle but far-reaching effects your appendix has on your body functions. At least one negative side effect has already been uncovered from having your appendix removed -- an increased risk of Crohn’s disease. "

I'm just curious how many people have Crohn's because of a removed appendix.
 
The more I read about this the more fascinating it is... For those of you without an appendix I would highly recommend a high quality probiotic, specifically the strains know for their anti-inflammatory properties such as "Lactobacillus rhamnosus" and "Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. Shermanii." If you do have an appendix I would still recommend it because there are tons of things in our culture that can offset the balance of positive bacteria in our intestines (birth control pills, antibiotics, etc.)

Hope it helps!
 
interesting posts, thank you Keezee - and welcome :)

i had my appendix removed along with various feet of bowel - i never did find out if it was inflamed or not, but a lot of my Crohns pain was in that area...
 
still have mine. when I started the whole shenanigans with finding out what was wrong with me thats the first thing they thought of at the ER when I went there doubled over in pain.
 
Got mine out too. That's what they thought was the only thing wrong 6 months before they decided I still had the same symptoms and issues :-( Now we knows its crohns ugghh
 
I still have my appendix, it was originally questioned whether my appendix was the source of my pain as they say the pain starts on the right hand side before moving to the left I believe. But it wasn't the problem unfortunately, getting it out would have been a quick fix but sadly there is no quick fix for Crohn's.
 
Yes I had mine out in June this year, it was fine, that when they queried a diagnosis of IBD I am having a colonoscopy on 4th to confirm it.
 
Lost mine at age 12 when it burst and tosils at 5. I think they are all linked with auto-immune difficulties along with allergies?!
 
Mine was removed along with some of my small intestine. They didn't want it to bother me down the road. Like have an unneccary surgery, so they took them together.
 
That's one thing I haven't had removed. I've had my wisdom teeth, tonsils, and gallbladder removed. I did find out that I was born with two spleens. I'm weird!
 
the opposite is true for UC, having it removed lessens the chance of developing it.

If they take it out during my colectomy I am going to be pissed of.
 
mine was removed as part of the resection, pathology report revealed a carcinoid tumor on it, so glad its away!
 
No I still have mine - even though when they did my hysterectomy I wanted them to take it out to avoid another future abdominal surgery - this before I knew I had crohn's. I am now missing ovaries, tubes, uterus, gallbladder, and tonsils - so the only thing left to cause problems is the dammned appendix. Oh and the thyroid crapped out and my immune system is screwed up.

Maybe we shold start a poll of the body systems we have that ARE STILL WORKING and IN ONE PIECE. (sorry its a bad day around here)
 
I had mine when I was diagnosed. Years later my Crohn's worsened to the point where I needed surgery, and it was infected and filled with pus so it came out with the rest.
 
I had mine removed when they took out 10-12 inches of my large intestine but only because it also had signs of Crohn's otherwise they would have left it alone.
 
Mine came out with the 12 inches of colon and a large chunk of the small as well. I was under the impression it was useless anyway?
 
Mine came out with my bowel, it wasn't infected at all just attached to an abcess but they thought they might as well remove it ;) Atleast i'll never get appendicitus :)
 
appendix gone

hi i had my appendix removed 4 years ago, and in september this year was diagnosed with crohns, my docs question wether this was the start off this desease, also 32 years ago my brother got taken into hospital with suspected appendicitus ,and turns out it wasnt but crohn desease,just thought i had to share this with you x
 
They thought I had appendicitis when I went into the ER with my Crohn's for the first time - even though my pain was on the left and it is on the right. A good ER doc save my appendx that night, but a week later they did an exploratory because they couldn't figure out what was wrong. They removed it then. I threw a fit and yelled at the doctor. (I was much younger then, but I would still tell them a thing or two). I did not give permission for it to be removed when it was pink and healthy!!!

Seems silly now, but I was really mad. It was probably the most healthy part of my whole entire colon at the time, and they took it out. Colonoscopy several weeks later (done by a gastro) showed very little normal bowel. He said he had never seen so many ulcers so evenly distributed throughout. So, why didn't they take my colon and leave my lovely healthy appendix?? LOL!!!!
 
I still have mine. When I was 12 I had terrible lower abdominal pains. At the time the Dr said it could be appendicitis, but turned out to be a flare. I was not diagnosed till much later, but realized these "episodes" of stomach pain now made sense.
 
Mine came out in August 2000. My physician's assitant at the time did a very funny test to find out if my abdominal pain was appendicitis. I couldn't stand up straight because the pain was so bad. She had me lie flat on the table and then she tapped the bottom of my feet. I screamed. She said, "Yep, it's your appendix. I want you to go to the hospital right now."
 
appendix being remvoed

I had mine removed when they did my first resection. I was already sick with CD then so in my case I think that with or without the appendix it made little difference.

When they removed mine back in 1988 they told me it would be better this way they would not mistake a falre up with what is the english word for the appendix exploding? :) I forget.
 
I was thought to have appendicitis in 2007, turned out to be a severe kidney infection. Very high fever, white cells where pouring out in my urine. I went to the ER to be seen and after a good 3-4 hour wait with a fever of 103 I decided to take some tylenol and went to an urgent care facility which I got medicine, an x-ray, a urinalysis and treatment within 1/2 an hour.

Two years later I began spewing blood out of my anus...thus UC/crohns was born.
 
moogie said:
When they removed mine back in 1988 they told me it would be better this way they would not mistake a falre up with what is the english word for the appendix exploding? :) I forget.
Click to expand...

appendicitis I beleive this is the term which explains both the inflammation of the appendix as well as the appendix exploding
 
I had a "grumbling appendix" which was removed last october... i still have problems. so im having my first colonoscopy on 6th feb.. to see if i have anIBD
 
Yes , took mine out with the hemicolectomy. It was 9 inches long (creepy !). Not inflamed ,just trying to be a 3rd intestine I think. lol. On the ultrasound they didn't know if it was actually my appendix because the end was tucked behind other bits.
 
9 Inches! :ywow:

There would be many a man that would like to apply those numbers to an appendage other than the appendix!

Dusty. :ybiggrin:
 
I should still have mine, unless they didn't tell me that they removed it. :shifty:

Some scientists have recently proposed that the appendix may harbour and protect bacteria that are beneficial in the function of the human colon.[9]

Loren G. Martin, a professor of physiology at Oklahoma State University, argues that the appendix has a function in fetuses and adults.[10] Endocrine cells have been found in the appendix of 11-week-old fetuses that contribute to "biological control (homeostatic) mechanisms." In adults, Martin argues that the appendix acts as a lymphatic organ. The appendix is experimentally verified as being rich in infection-fighting lymphoid cells, suggesting that it might play a role in the immune system.

He notes that doctors in the last decade have stopped removing the appendix during other surgical procedures as a routine precaution, because it can be successfully transplanted into the urinary tract to rebuild a sphincter muscle and reconstruct a functional bladder.
 
Wow, it is absolutely amazing to read some of these responses. When they did my resection they took out my appendix because it had a carcinoid tumor on it and they believed it tricked my body into believing I had chronic appendicitis.
 
After reading these posts, it seems the appendix is a common (but incorrect) scapegoat for Crohn's pains. I almost received the same diagnosis, until a specialist identified my Crohn's disease and spared my appendix.

Until...

2 weeks later, I was in the ER in another city, doubled over with excruciating pain. They said my appendix had ruptured, and removed it. That was New Years 2007.

Crohn's symptoms persisted and I've been in the Remicade Club ever since.
 
My appendix was removed in 1963. it was smack in the middle of the 6 inches of colon and 6 inches of small intestine that was removed when I was 18. That was before the problem that I had at that time was diagnosed as Crohn's Disease. It was originally diagnosed as accute illitis or something like that.
 
When I worked for a grp of Drs our surgeon said people can be diagnosed with Crohns when they have their appendix out. Anytime you have something removed from your body a bx is done. Its "usually" a male although can also happen to female. Females on the other hand can have trouble with their overies etc etc. So its not so much that the removal of the appendix causes Crohns but leads to a Dx of a disease you didnt know you had.
 
I'm having those crohns pains right now. Went A&E as i couldn't sleep for 2 days and it hurts alot. It's hurting right now, but i went and they said it's prob crohns disease (not been diagnosed with it yet). They said only return if you have a fever or begin to vomit or the severity of the pain gets worse. :shifty:
 
Had mine removed recently when they removed my terminal ileum and some of my large intestine, apparently 8 inches all together and they figured they might as well take the appendix out as well
 
Yeah I had mine removed along with all of my large bowel it turns out they were inflamed as well as all of my bowel
 
I asked the doctor to take mine when the time came to have just over a foot of colon removed. I said this not long after diagnosis, knowing it would be in that area anyway, and knowing that I can live without it, thought it best having seen what a ruptured appendix can do to someone.
 
In 1982-1983, I was hospitalized three times because it was thought that I had a bowel obstruction. When I agreed to getting surgery, the surgeon discovered I had a ruptured appendix, as well as Crohn's, and that was what was causing all the problems.
 
Appendicitis 1995 . Resection of ileum , followed by peritonitis and Crohn's. Until very recently most GE's were loathe to connect the two issues.
 
Keezee said:
The more I read about this the more fascinating it is... For those of you without an appendix I would highly recommend a high quality probiotic, specifically the strains know for their anti-inflammatory properties such as "Lactobacillus rhamnosus" and "Propionibacterium freudenreichii ssp. Shermanii." If you do have an appendix I would still recommend it because there are tons of things in our culture that can offset the balance of positive bacteria in our intestines (birth control pills, antibiotics, etc.)

Hope it helps!
Click to expand...


I've become more interested in this topic as well and I'm trying to do some research.
(By the way, hello everyone, I just registered here! I do not personally have CD but my husband does whereas I have a different condition called Gastroparesis and we both do everything we can to help one another out! <3)

My husband's appendix was removed just days before he was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. It was most definitely in rotten shape, and although I don't suspect that the removal *caused* his Crohn's Disease, I very highly suspect that it somehow caused it to worsen. So that's what I am trying to research, and ways that I can help balance that out for him.
So Keezee, thank you for giving that advice!!
 

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