Soviet doctor performed self-surgery to remove appendix in Antarctica
Leonid Rogozov, the sole physician at a remote research station, operated on himself in 1961 when evacuation was impossible.
Soviet surgeon Leonid Rogozov performed surgery on himself to remove his inflamed appendix at a remote Antarctic station in April 1961, according to the Times of India.
Rogozov, 27, was the only doctor at the Novolazarevskaya station during the sixth Soviet Antarctic expedition. He was also working as a meteorologist and driving the station's terrain vehicle.
After feeling weak and nauseous on April 29, Rogozov recognised symptoms of acute appendicitis. As snowstorms and frozen seas made evacuation impossible, he decided to operate on himself.
The surgeon converted his room into an improvised operating theatre and recruited a mechanic and a meteorologist to assist him. He used local anaesthesia and a mirror to perform the procedure.
The operation lasted approximately two hours and included an instance where Rogozov accidentally injured his caecum and had to stitch the damage. He eventually removed the appendix and closed the incision.
Rogozov returned to his duties within two weeks. The account was documented in a 2009 British Medical Journal case report co-written by his son, Vladislav Rogozov.