The appendix is located in the lower right abdomen, between the cecum and ileum, and is a long, thin, curved, blind tube with distal atresia. Many people believe that the appendix is a redundant human organ because many popular science articles say that it is the result of humans not evolving completely. So, is the appendix really redundant? First, is the appendix a “backup disc”? The function of the appendix seems to be related to the huge number of bacteria that inhabit the human digestive tract. In the human body, there are far more bacteria than cells in the body, most of which are beneficial and help us digest food. However, bacteria in the intestinal tract sometimes die or are removed. Some diseases, such as cholera and amoebic dysentery, remove the beneficial bacteria from the intestine. In this case, the appendix can come into play and its beneficial bacteria will multiply and restore the normal intestinal flora. It acts as a “backup disk” to restart the intestinal probiotic system that was deleted during the illness. The appendix plays a role in maintaining the balance of intestinal bacteria, if the intestinal bacterial balance is out of balance, it may lead to ulcerative colitis and segmental ileitis, and also prone to food poisoning, so the appendix is not superfluous. The appendix has an immune role The human immune system is composed of various immune organs, immune cells and immune molecules. The immune organs are divided into central immune organs and peripheral immune organs, with the central immune organs including the bone marrow and thymus. The peripheral immune organs include lymph nodes, spleen and mucosal immune system, and the appendix is precisely one of the mucosal immune system. More than 50% of the body’s lymphoid tissue is found in the mucosal immune system, which plays an important role in immune defense, especially during adolescence. The appendix, as a small part of this system, is not too big, but it is not useless. So, prior to the Duke study, there were already many clinicians who had reservations about removing the appendix. However, in cases of acute or chronic inflammation or appendiceal tumors, surgical removal is generally recommended. Third, the appendix also has negative effects The appendix also has negative effects, such as inflammation. In the case of inflammation of the appendix, it can also be fatal if not removed in time. Appendicitis can occur at any age, but it is more common in young adults, with a peak incidence between the ages of 20 and 30. To date, acute appendicitis still has a mortality rate of 0.1-0.5%; once diffuse peritonitis occurs, the mortality rate can be as high as 5-10%. For all types of acute appendicitis, recurrent chronic appendicitis, appendiceal abscesses that are still symptomatic after 3-6 months of conservative and non-surgical treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment can be taken. What does the onset of appendicitis look like? The onset of appendicitis is mainly characterized by abdominal pain, gastrointestinal reactions and systemic reactions. 1, abdominal pain: the main reason for forcing patients with acute appendicitis to seek medical attention immediately, except for a very small number of patients with transverse myelitis combined with pain disorders, all have abdominal pain present. 2, gastrointestinal reactions: nausea, vomiting is the most common, early vomiting is mostly reflexive, often occurs at the peak of abdominal pain, vomit is food residue and gastric juice, late vomiting is related to peritonitis. About 1/3 of patients have symptoms of constipation or diarrhea, and the increased frequency of stools in the early stages of abdominal pain may be the result of increased bowel movements. In pelvic appendicitis, direct stimulation of the rectal wall by the tip of the appendix may also be accompanied by an increase in the number of stools, while in pelvic abscess after appendiceal perforation, not only are there more stools, but there may even be a posteriori urgency. 3. Systemic reaction: In the early stage of acute appendicitis, some patients feel general fatigue, weakness of limbs, or headache and dizziness. In simple appendicitis, the body temperature is mostly between 37.5-38°C. In purulent and perforated appendicitis, the body temperature is higher, up to about 39°C. Very few patients have chills and high fever, and the body temperature can rise to more than 40°C. V. What is the surgical procedure for appendicitis? At present, minimally invasive laparoscopic appendectomy can be considered for both acute and chronic appendicitis, which is less traumatic and faster recovery. It is a blessing for appendiceal patients.