You’re walking around with 78 organs. However, the truth is that a decent number of them are expendable. Not ideal to lose, but not a death sentence either.
“It’s a testament to the human body’s astonishing capacity for adaptation and modern medicine’s ingenious interventions,” said Dr. Indraneil Mukherjee, a minimally invasive surgeon at Northwell’s Staten Island University Hospital, in an interview with the New York Post.
From the intestine’s “dusty attic” to the bladder’s plumbing reroute, here are 10 organs you can live without.
1. Appendix
This worm-like pouch attached to your large intestine is “largely useless in modern life,” Mukherjee said. Removing it doesn’t require long-term meds, and most people return to normal in days.
2. Gallbladder
This bile-storing sac can be cut without much disruption. “The liver simply drips bile directly into the small intestine,” Mukherjee said. Some people need a few dietary tweaks, but life goes on.
3. Kidney
You’ve got two, but you only need one. “One kidney is usually more than capable of filtering your blood and keeping you healthy,” Mukherjee noted. You’ll need occasional checkups, but not lifelong meds.
4. Stomach
The stomach blends and stores food before digestion. If removed due to ulcers, cancer, or bariatric surgery, food goes straight to the small intestine. That changes everything. “Life is manageable but requires constant dietary vigilance and medical support,” Mukherjee said.
5. Small Bowel
You can lose part of your small bowel without major issues. But if too much is removed, it can lead to short gut syndrome, which makes it harder to absorb nutrients and fluids. Diarrhea, fatigue, and even IV nutrition might be a part of your daily life. “Life can be sustained with a lot of behavioral changes,” Mukherjee said.
6. Colon
You’ll poop more and faster, but it’s livable. Some people get reconnected surgically, others use a colostomy bag. “One can lead a near normal life, even go swimming and ballroom dancing,” Mukherjee said.
7. Anus
If the body’s natural exit has to go, doctors create a new one through the abdomen. You’ll wear a stoma bag, which requires maintenance, but it works. You can live actively, just with a different system.
8. Esophagus
This food tube can be rebuilt using parts of the stomach or intestines. Swallowing becomes more complex. “Temporarily, one might even need a feeding tube,” Mukherjee said.
9. Urinary Bladder
If removed, urine is rerouted to a bag outside or to a surgically created internal pouch. “It demands adaptation,” Mukherjee said, “but individuals can lead full, active lives.”
10. Lung
One lung can carry the load, but your breathing will never be the same. “Athletic people would be able to compensate,” Mukherjee said, “but even small colds or pollution can tip the balance.”
You probably wouldn’t choose to part with any of these. But if it happens, the body often finds a way to keep going, and sometimes, going pretty well.
The post 10 Organs You Can Live Without—and One You Don’t Really Need at All appeared first on VICE.
