https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Caseofthemissingkidney 2026-04-15T15:13:13Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2508:_Circumappendiceal_Somectomy&diff=217195 2021-08-28T01:05:44Z

<p>Caseofthemissingkidney: /* Data showing that antibiotics for appendicitis often eventually fails*/</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 2508<br /> | date = August 27, 2021<br /> | title = Circumappendiceal Somectomy<br /> | image = circumappendiceal_somectomy.png<br /> | titletext = Some personal news: After treating my first case a few years ago with antibiotics, I can report that I have now had appendicitis for the second and--unless something extremely unexpected happened with the surgery--final time.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> {{incomplete|Created by a BODY REMOVED FROM AROUND AN APPENDIX - Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> <br /> Breaking down the title: circum- means &quot;around,&quot; -appendiceal means &quot;the appendix,&quot; som(a)- means &quot;the body,&quot; and -ectomy means &quot;removal.&quot; Therefore, a circumappendiceal somectomy would be &quot;a removal of the body from around the appendix.&quot; This appears to be the procedure that the doctor in the comic is describing.<br /> <br /> The joke is that such a procedure is functionally identical to a typical appendectomy, the removal of the appendix from the body - just viewed from a different perspective. It humorously implies that the entire body of the patient is the problematic part to be removed, in order to leave behind a healthy, functional appendix.<br /> <br /> The title text provides personal insight into the comic. It appears Randall has gotten appendicitis before, which may have been the inspiration of [[2147: Appendicitis]] and was treated using antibiotics instead of surgery. However, his appendix became inflamed again, and this time it was removed. Randall's experience is not uncommon, as a [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32074268/ 2020 study] found that nearly 40% of patients treated with antibiotics for appendicitis required an appendectomy for recurrent appendicitis within 7 years. As well, this should be the final time, as it is unlikely to get appendicitis without an appendix.{{Citation needed}} However, he does not rule out the possibility that something &quot;extremely unexpected&quot; happened during the surgery which could cause him to suffer from appendicitis again. Possible candidates for such an extremely unexpected event could include the surgeon faking the removal of Randall's appendix and leaving it intact, or removing only part of it, or removing Randall's appendix but transplanting someone else's appendix into him instead.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> {{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}<br /> :[Cueball is sitting on a hospital bed, hands pushing on his stomach, where his appendix is. A doctor is speaking to him with one arm outstretched, palms upwards.]<br /> :Doctor: Normally we would remove your appendix from your body.<br /> :Doctor: But thanks to new surgical techniques, we're now able to remove your entire body from around your appendix!<br /> {{comic discussion}}<br /> <br /> [[Category: Comics featuring Cueball]]</div>

Caseofthemissingkidney