Most people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast. That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who ...

Q I had a pain on the right side of my abdomen. A CT scan found a perforated appendix with an abscess. I was treated with IV antibiotics, and now I am feeling fine. Do I need to have my appendix taken ...