Doctor performs appendectomy on himself in Antarctica, impressing the world

Sick with appendicitis during an Antarctic expedition 57 years ago, Dr. Leonid Ivanovich Rogozov performed surgery on himself.

On November 5, 1960, on the Ob ship, the young doctor Leonid Ivanovich Rogozov left the port of Leningrad (former Soviet Union) for Antarctica with 12 explorers. Accepting to cut short his promising career to embark on an adventure, Rogozov did not know that he would perform a historic surgery that would amaze the whole world.

According to BMJ, after arriving in Antarctica a few weeks ago,Rogozov began to feel ill. With a high fever, vomiting, and severe pain in the lower right corner of his abdomen, the doctor realized he had appendicitis.“I am in terrible pain,” the then 27-year-old doctor wrote in his diary. “A blizzard is ravaging my soul.”

Doctor Rogozov. Photo: Vladislav Rogozov.

Under normal conditions, appendicitis is not life-threatening. However, at that time,Rogozov was in the middle of the remote Antarctic, surrounded by nothing but thousands of square miles of snow and ice. He was the only doctor on the team and no one could help him. There was a research station nearby.Rogozov is taking refuge, but the weather is too bad to allow people to move. Moreover, it is more than a year before the deadline to return to Russia.

In dire straits,Rogozov initially intended to give up.I kept quiet, even smiled. Why should I be afraid, my friends?", he explained. However, the pain became more and more severe, forcingRogozov carried out the only idea he could think of: to operate on himself. "It was almost impossible. But I couldn't just sit back and give up," the doctor confided.

Night of April 30, 1961,Rogozov planned the operation. He enlisted the help of the expedition members to set up an operating room, removing everything except a bed, two tables, and a lamp.The young doctor showed everyone how to move the instruments, set up the lights, and hold a mirror so he could see what he was doing. In addition,Rogozov also showed them how to give him injections and artificial respiration in case he lost consciousness. Finally,Rogozov put gloves on his colleagues.

At 2:00 a.m. on May 1, 1961, the historic surgery began.Rogozov injected himself with a local anesthetic into his abdomen. In his diary, he described:"I was scared too. But when I held the novocaine needle and injected myself, I somehow switched to work mode and didn't notice anything."After 15 minutes,Rogozovmake a 10-12 cm incision on your abdomen at the location of the appendix.

Dr. Rogozov performed his own appendectomy. Photo: Vladislav Rogozov.

The doctor described in his diary how he tried to remain calm but was still sweating profusely, forcing others to wipe it away. Every 4-5 minutes, he would rest for 20-25 seconds.Although there is a mirror,Rogozov was still dealing mainly with sensation. After 45 minutes, he was exhausted and dizzy, so he stopped the surgery. The sight ofRogozov now made all the members of the delegation present "extremely uncomfortable" and "just wanted to run away".

Take a break,Rogozov continued. As a result, after an hour and 45 minutes of self-surgery, he successfully cut out the "cursed intestine" and stitched up his abdomen.Before taking sleeping pills,RogozovInstruct your associate to help you clean up and dispose of surgical instruments."I thought it was going to end badly," the doctor said."Then I realized, basically, I was saved," he said.

Take medicine for 4 days, healthRogozov gradually recovered. On the fifth day, his body temperature returned to normal, and a week later the stitches were removed. Within two weeks, the 27-year-old doctor returned to his duties at the research station.

More than a year after his self-surgery, Dr. Rogosov returned home. Photo: Vladislav Rogozov.

More than a year after the historic operation, the Soviet team of experts left Antarctica. On May 29, 1962, they arrived at the port of Leningrad. Without waiting,Rogozov immediately set to work. Until the end of his life, he worked and taught atDepartment of Surgery, Leningrad Medical Academy.

Considered the first case of successful self-surgery in a harsh environment,Rogozov becomes a symbolabout determination and will to survive. In particular, he firmly refused all honorary awards with the reason: "It's just a normal thing like anything else."

DaySeptember 21, 2000, doctorRogozov died at the age of 66.

According to VNE