New research has shown that women, who require the removal of their appendix, needn't worry. According to the study, it will not reduce their chances of conceiving.
Shockingly, this 15-year British study has also found that women, who had their tonsils or appendix removed when they were young are more likely to get pregnant, reports News.com.au.
The reasons behind the link haven't been fully explained to this point. But these findings contest previous medical theories which stated that these surgeries reduce a woman's fertility due to scar tissue forming around the fallopian tubes.
A research team from the University of Dundee analysed the medical records of more than 530,000 women across Great Britain. What they found is that pregnancy rates are higher among women who have had their tonsils and appendix removed.
As per the study, the pregnancy rate among women who had an appendectomy or tonsillectomy was 54% and 53% respectively.
The rate for women who've had both procedures was 59.7%!
Amazingly, women who still had both their tonsils and appendix was a mere 43.7%
While these findings are surprising--to say the least--the good news is that mothers in need of these surgeries will no longer have to fear undergoing them. In fact, based on these findings, they may be better off for having them done.
"This scientifically challenges the myth of the effect of appendectomy on fertility. What we have to establish now is exactly why that is the case," said lead author of the study Sami Shimi.
It is possible that the cause for these findings lies in a biological reasoning, the researchers believe that the cause is more likely to be behavioural. In any case, further studies are now being conducted to find definitive explanations.
Shimi claims that the findings should, however, should not be used as a reason for women to seek out any procedures in the hopes of increasing their chance of conception.
"This research does not mean that removing a normal appendix directly increases fertility," he told New.com.au.
"It does however mean that young women who need to have their appendix removed can do so without fear of the risk on future fertility,"he added.
When the aforementioned additional studies are completed, a more comprehensible explanation to these findings will be known. However, for the time being, it looks as though potential mothers can put to rest any myths of these procedures decreasing their odds for conceiving.
This story was originally covered by News.com.au
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