The Mysterious Function and Benefit of the Appendix

Описание: Why do we have an appendix? What does the appendix do?

I'm going to convince you in this video that the appendix is a badass little organ.

YES! It has a function!

As a surgeon one of the most common operations I do every week is a laparoscopic appendectomy...removing a child's appendix.

Very often I'm asked the questions...why do we have an appendix? What is the appendix? What does the appendix do?


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MUST HAVE SURGERY BOOKS
Sabiston's Textbook of Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Sabiston
Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy https://citizensurgeon.co/Moore
Netter's Anatomical Atlas https://citizensurgeon.co/Netter
Schwartz Principles of Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Schwartz
Fischer's Mastery of Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Mastery
Zollinger's Atlas of Surgical Operations https://citizensurgeon.co/Zollinger
Top Knife (MUST MUST HAVE) https://citizensurgeon.co/topknife

PICK UP THE BIBLE OF PEDIATRIC SURGERY
Holcomb and Ashcraft's Pediatric Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Ashcraft


DOES THE APPENDIX DO ANYTHING?

Incorrectly many people think the appendix is just a left over, that it has no function or that it has no purpose.

Wrong.

The appendix DOES have a function, both an immune function and a digestive function.

For example, the appendix sees little feces and is a storage warehouse for healthy commensal bacterial. After a diarrhoeal illness the appendix helps us repopulate the microbiome.

The appendix has a significant immune function with secretory IgA and IgG and helps create a healthy biofilm in the colon.

So don't just chop out the appendix to chop it out!

We're going to cover a few clinical cases as well and at the bottom of the description I'll put the answers so you can check yourself!


Check out these AMAZING timestamps and fast forward if you need to:

Start 00:00
What is the appendix? 01:11
What is the histology of the appendix? 03:33
Why do we have an appendix? 04:30
The appendix and biofilm 10:39
The appendix and disease 14:18


REFERENCES
Immune function of the appendix - Kook et al https://citizensurgeon.co/immuneappendix
Sabiston Textbook of Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Sabiston
Cope's Diagnosis of the Acute Abdomen https://citizensurgeon.co/Cope
Top Knife (Must Have) https://citizensurgeon.co/TopKnife
Chapter 42 Holcomb and Ashcraft's Pediatric Surgery https://citizensurgeon.co/Ashcraft

WHO AM I?
I'm Dr. Erik Pearson, FACS and I am a board certified pediatric surgeon living in Las Vegas. I make surgical education videos on all topics in general surgery as well as talks on lifestyle design as a surgeon, book reviews, and studying effectively. I also write a weekly newsletter called the Saturday Six where I identify Six different discoveries of the week. You can get the weekly newsletter by signing up to the CITIZENSURGEON Community!

DISCLAIMER
While my aim is to help educate you for the ward, the surgical ICU, the operating room and your exams remember these videos are not a replacement for your reading, your medical school and residency preparation and most important your own decision making. If you have medical questions definitely consult a medical professional. Good luck and enjoy!

Affiliate Links - There are a few links in the description that may lead to a kickback to me to help support the channel.