Other forms: appendectomies
An appendectomy is an operation in which a surgeon removes your appendix. If your appendix is inflamed or infected, you'll probably need an appendectomy.
Your appendix is a small part of your digestive system — it's not uncommon for it to grow inflamed and enlarged, a painful situation that can become dangerous without an emergency appendectomy. The first successful appendectomy was performed in the early 1700s, though the word for the procedure wasn't coined until 1891. The root is the Latin appendix, "an addition" or "something attached."