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It’s surprising how many organs we can live without – and just as well. Each year, thousands of us sacrifice an organ, sometimes because of injury but usually because of illness, ranging from an infected appendix to a gallbladder plagued by painful gallstones. Or it could be cancer – rates of common cancers like breast and bowel, for instance, are rising in younger people.
Sometimes you lose more than one. “There’s not much of me left….but I’m still here,” quipped Elton John last year, referring to his missing prostate, appendix, adenoids and tonsils.
You can live without your gallbladder, but you may have to make some dietary changes.Credit: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF
But there’s good news too: advances in surgical techniques can mean fewer complications and faster recovery from surgery after an organ removal.
“Keyhole surgery means smaller incisions, less pain, and a quicker recovery resulting in shorter stays in hospital,” says general surgeon Dr Christine Lai, chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ professional standards and fellowship services committee. “Anaesthesia time is often shorter too thanks to advances in technology, such as new devices that seal blood vessels, for example. Robotic surgery also allows us to more easily access parts of the body that were once difficult to reach.”
Here are some organs we can live without. Of course, the information provided is general in nature. Consult your health practitioner for specialist advice.
Appendix
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Like Bindi Irwin who had hers removed in May, about 40,000 Australians will say goodbye to their appendix each year. Bacterial infection is the common cause and you’re usually home in two or three days if there are no complications. Although you can live without one, an appendix is no longer considered useless. One theory is that it’s like a storehouse for friendly bacteria that can repopulate the gut if it runs short on its own supply of healthy microbes.
Gallbladder
Perched behind your liver, this little pouch helps your body digest fats. Some estimates suggest 50,000 Australians have their gallbladder removed each year, with an uptick in the number of people under-54 losing theirs. Gallstones are a common reason, cancer can be another. Being female, overweight or having a family history of gallstones raises the risk of developing gallstones. Your liver, a hardworking organ, can take over some of the work of the gallbladder, but you may need to modify your diet and shift to smaller, low-fat meals. With keyhole surgery, you can expect one to two days in hospital and recovery within two weeks.
Kidneys
Two kidneys are better than one but if you lose (or donate) a kidney, your remaining kidney works harder to provide up to 75 per cent of normal kidney function, not just 50 per cent, according to Kidney Health Australia. To be a donor, you need to be in very good health in the first place but losing a kidney can put you at risk of higher blood pressure and a higher chance of developing protein in your urine, which can be monitored via regular check -ups. It does not affect life expectancy. Robotic surgery is sometimes used for this surgery, adds Lai. Recovery is likely to involve two to seven days in hospital and six to 12 weeks to fully recover, says the Cancer Council NSW.
Spleen
Tucked behind your ribs on the left side, your spleen is an important part of your immune system. Reasons for losing it can include injury, infection or disease. About 50,000 Australians manage without a spleen (or one that doesn’t work well). You can live without one, but your lifelong risk of serious bacterial infection is higher, so avoiding infection becomes especially important, says Spleen Australia. Surgery can be done via keyhole and you can be back to work in three to four weeks.
Stomach
Diagnoses of stomach cancer are falling in Australia, but if it happens, treatment can mean removing the entire stomach and attaching the oesophagus to the small bowel. If only part of the stomach is removed, the surgeon creates a small pouch from the remaining stomach and reattaches it to the small bowel. Recovery time is about three to six months, with eating gradually progressing from liquids and soft foods to a normal diet, says the Cancer Council NSW.
“But it can be difficult for people to absorb nutrients without a stomach, as it plays a key role in digestion,” adds Lai. “For example, lifelong supplements of B12 are important – it’s hard to absorb this nutrient without a stomach which produces a factor critical for absorption.”
It may take a year or two, but eventually, the body seems to adjust quite well to the absence of the stomach, says No Stomach for Cancer, an international global organisation supporting those affected by stomach cancer.
Pancreas
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Likely reasons to remove a pancreas (or part of it) include pancreatitis – a painful inflammation of the pancreas – and pancreatic cancer. As with some other cancers, rates of diagnosis in under-50s are climbing, according to research from Flinders University. Although not often diagnosed until advanced stages, if caught early enough, surgery may be a viable option.
It’s complex surgery that can include removing parts of nearby organs, sometimes with the use of robotic surgery, says Lai.
“Without a pancreas, the body can’t produce insulin or digestive enzymes, so patients need lifelong insulin injections and supplements of digestive enzymes afterwards.”
Recovery can take six to 12 weeks according to Pankind which raises awareness of pancreatic cancer.
Colon
More than 13,000 surgeries to remove part, or sometimes all, of the colon were done in Australia in 2022, usually for bowel cancer but also to treat inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis or an injury. It can take two to three months to recover from surgery. Some people may need a stoma – an opening in the abdomen connected to the remaining bowel. It’s attached to a small bag outside the body to collect faeces, it may be temporary or permanent.
Reproductive organs
It could be the pain of endometriosis, fibroids or prolapse but by the age of 70, about one in three Australian women has had her uterus removed according to some estimates. Endometrial cancer is another reason – rates of this cancer are climbing says the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group. Ovaries are sometimes removed along with the uterus, but other reasons for losing one or both ovaries can include ovarian cysts, a twisted ovary or cancer.
For men, it’s not unusual to lose all or some of the prostate to treat cancer – almost 42,000 prostatectomies were done in Australia in 2022. Losing a testicle to cancer is far less common – about 1000 cases of testicular cancer were diagnosed in 2024. Found early, it’s one of the most curable cancers and most men can maintain their fertility and testosterone production with just one testicle according to Healthy Male which raises awareness of men’s health.
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