Comments on: Scarless Appendix Removal Surgery: Through Your Mouth!

By: Larfin Jackarse

Larfin Jackarse — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:25:11 +0000

Amusing. I would want the scar to add to my collection.

Another take on this is that a friend went in for an appendectomy recently and they 'keyholed' him to save on ugly scars etc but they couldn't find the appendix. 4 keyhole punches later and then a 4cm slice they found out he is one of the 3% (ish) who have their appendix on the other side of their body. So add in the second 4 cm slice.

He was FURIOUS when he woke up and found out. He looked look he had been a knife fight! We all thought it was very funny.

By: Lore

Lore — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:24:26 +0000

Eww...

I'd take the scar where they deal with it directly than worry about a doctor not remembering where to go...

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:43:34 +0000

@ Jacques

I also had two sub-acute appendicitis attacks! I went to see three different doctors and all of them said to have surgery but I didn't think I wanted to do that (because I was overseas). What my family doctor prescribed wasn't harsh medicines or...enemas...but to eat more yogurt and take a course of Probiotic Supplements and it really did the trick!

He told me in cases of sub-acute appendicitis it's usually because the intestinal wall has lost some of the Probiotic balance. So, eat yogurt every day that has some good bacteria culture!

By: L

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:19:10 +0000

I thought I saw this on Neatorama already.

By: Jacques

Jacques — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:13:21 +0000

I had two sub-acute attacks of appendicitis, both times they did an CAT scan and discoverd that it was inflamed, but not bad enough that they needed to operate. And both times they gave me an enema for the CAT scan, and within a cuople of days the pain went away. i am now convinced that the enema was responsible for, um, washing the appendix near the end of the bowel, and helping to eliminate the minor infection that had taken place. Next time I'm just going to get a home enema kit.

ps. I'm not kidding.

By: Tara

Tara — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:28:51 +0000

God people are so afraid to ruin their appearance. I'd rather have the scar thank you.

By: sigh

sigh — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:25:16 +0000

Wouldn't going through the other end be a lot less distance? Colonoscopies are pretty common and simple, you'd think they could adapt that for an appendectomy. Seems like you'd have a lot more chance of something going wrong in about 25 feet of "super twisty" small intestine compared to about 5 feet of large intestine with three "straightaways."

By: Mofongo

Mofongo — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:15:11 +0000

So, won't there be problems in the healing of the stomach wall, taking into account stomach acid? I've had a stomach ulcer in the past and it was very hard to heal...it took months... had to take a lot of acid reducing meds and it was hell for my digestive process, lots of stomach pain due to food not digesting properly, etc. Besides, nowadays appendix removal is done through a very small puncture incision, not the 4 inch caterpillar gash they used to do before... I don't know, doesn't sound too good...

By: Tony LaRocca

Tony LaRocca — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:35:36 +0000

Erm... isn't there a much greater chance of something going wrong if a Doctor snakes down your esophagus and cuts through your stomach rather than if he simply cuts your side open and deals with your appendix directly?

By: Becky

Becky — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:10:26 +0000

talk about bad breath . . .