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.

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."