Lower Your Chance of Having Appendix Removed with CT Scan

Do you know someone that had his or her appendix removed? Perhaps you've even had it done yourself. This is a fairly common procedure that has been done on a diverse range of patients over the years. However, removal of the appendix is on the decline and that is believed to be due in part to the fact that it may not be as necessary to remove it as doctors once thought. Doctors who use a CT scan to determine whether or not the appendix must be removed frequently realize that it doesn't. In contrast, doctors who don't use the CT scan are more likely to recommend appendix removal that isn't necessary. This information comes from a medical research study completed in Los Angeles. The doctors showed that the unneccesary removal of the apendix decreased significantly after CT scans began to be used for this procedure. Prior to their use, approximately one in four people who got their appendix removed probably didn't need to do so. Since CT scans are now used for this procedure, less than three percent of removals are deemed unnecessary. Question of the Day: Would you encourage your doctor to use a CT scan if he or she thought that your appendix needed to be removed?

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