How to Remove an Appendix

The story of the tiny organ that sparked the rise of modern surgery

How to Remove an Appendix offers a sweeping, narrative history of surgery, using the enigmatic, worm-shaped appendix as a lens through which to tell the story of medicine's most common procedure. From primitive, pre-anesthetic efforts to modern robotic-assisted operations, this work reveals how the management of appendicitis mirrors the transformation of surgery from a dangerous art to a safe medical procedure.

Appendicitis has been a "secret killer" for centuries, affecting nearly one in ten people worldwide. Today, it is frequently treated with minimally invasive, four-incision laparoscopy or targeted antibiotics. The journey from fatal abdominal catastrophe to routine operation encapsulates the entire arc of surgical evolution: anatomy, anesthesia, antisepsis, imaging, and sterilization.

By interweaving historical and technical advancements with vivid, human-centered storytelling, the book reveals the influence of this small organ on royalty, politics, and the arts. The result is a compelling, dramatic, and intellectually stimulating exploration of medical history.