It is simply complex

“I would rather die by the hand of god, than the hand of man…”

Legendary French Surgeon, Baron Guillaume Dupuytren

Like many surgeons, the first procedure they let me do was an appendicectomy. It is usually considered a simple procedure, but the history behind appendicectomy is anything but. The first anatomical drawing of the appendix was produced by Da Vinci in 1508. Acute appendicitis (also referred to as iliac passion…) was first recognised at autopsy by Heister In 1753. The first surgical drainage of an appendiceal abscess was undertaken by Mestiver in 1757. The first non lethal drainage was achieved by Hancock in 1848. In 1735, Amyand safely removed an appendix accidentally during surgery for a strangulated groin hernia. The first intentional surgery appendicectomy was performed by Kronlein in 1884. In 1887 Morton was the first surgeon to have a patient survive an intentional appendicectomy. Non operative care for appendicitis was advocated by Oshner in 1902. As this approach doesn’t work in every case, Rogozov in Antarctic was the first to perform an auto appendicectomy in 1961. Another accidental appendectomy was carried by colonoscopy by Kaufman in 1976. Semm achieved the first laparoscopic appendicectomy in 1980. The first natural orifice appendectomy (via the stomach using an endoscope) was reported in 2004 by Reddy. In late 2025 a large randomised trial failed to show any survival benefit to surgery for uncomplicated appendicitis. #progress #letsmakelemonade