
Surgeon stationed in Antarctica removes his own appendix (1961) - hegemonicon
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/339/dec15_1/b4965
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frossie
Many years ago (early 90s?) I looked into a job in Antarctica. The job
stipulated that you had to preventatively remove your appendix prior to your
tour of duty to avoid exactly this situation. I believe they also wanted you
to replace your dental fillings (replacing the metal with a composite
substance) to avoid problems caused by the cold (I assume).

It was all rather irrelevant to me in the end since I discovered that at the
time the British Antarctic Society did not accept women (I believe this has
since changed).

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quizbiz
I just want to point out that based on personal experience last week,
preventative surgery to remove your appendix is no longer preformed.

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jyothi
There have been many cases of self-surgery under extreme circumstances.
Coincidentally stumbled upon a list of 10 incredible ones.
[http://listverse.com/2008/12/09/top-10-incredible-self-
surge...](http://listverse.com/2008/12/09/top-10-incredible-self-surgeries/)

~~~
Evgeny
Which I submitted a couple of days ago but it did not become noticed

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1049663>

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aarongough
That is crazy. I don't think I would have the stomach for that myself, but I
guess being a surgeon already would help.

I remember a related story of and Aussie medic imprisoned in a Japanese POW
camp successfully removing the appendix of a fellow prisoner with only a shard
of broken glass.

Personally, I just hope I am never in a position like that.

~~~
pavel_lishin
The survival must have mostly been luck - what are the odds of not becoming
horribly infected?

What did the surgeon use for sutures, anyway?

~~~
aarongough
I can't remember if it was mentioned in all honesty. There's no real reason
that the incision need get infected if they were very careful.

If I remember correctly the medic sterilized his instruments, himself and the
patient with alcohol or some sort of solvent.

I have a friend who lived in the Yukon (north edge of Canada) for many years.
He slashed his leg open with a knife accidentally while working one day, but
he was a day or so away from medical care. He just cleaned it and then sutured
himself up using a needle and dental floss. He eventually got to a hospital,
the doctor told him he had done just fine!

~~~
pavel_lishin
Sure, but an appendectomy implies that the appendix itself is inflamed and
infected, right? Seems like it could easily spread to the blood. Not to
mention working near the intestines, that are full of bacteria as it is.
Sounds like sepsis city to me.

Then again, like you said, he could have just been pouring alcohol on the
whole thing the entire time.

~~~
mbergins
The article mentions that antibiotics were applied while the wound was open.

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mrduncan
In 2003, hiker Aron Ralston amputated his own arm with a pocket knife after a
boulder fell and pinned him down.

[http://hike.mountainzone.com/2003/news/html/030502_amputate-...](http://hike.mountainzone.com/2003/news/html/030502_amputate-
arm.html)

~~~
jodrellblank
"Ines Ramírez Pérez is a peasant woman living in rural Mexico. She had no
medical training, but nevertheless performed a successful Caesarean section on
herself: both she and her baby survived"

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In%C3%A9s_Ram%C3%ADrez>

~~~
aarongough
I remember being seriously grossed out the first time I read that story. And,
yep. It still grosses me out now!

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jrockway
This leads to a related question. Assuming you're in a situation where it's
your best option, what's the best way to kill yourself without tools? I assume
dying of dehydration / exposure is not particularly enjoyable, and a set of
circumstances might exist where it would be better to get it over with...

(See below for the link to the guy that cut his arm off to avoid dying. I
don't think I would be able to make it through the bone, so I would like to
have this option filed away in case I need it some day :)

~~~
DenisM
Bite off your tongue and you will bleed to death. Especially valuable advice
if you're tied up.

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mynameishere
Brings up memories of one of the best CGA games ever:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_&_Death](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_&_Death)

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electromagnetic
Sheer amazing. I wonder how his vitals would have compared to a regular
appendectomy? Were his vitals concurrent with an appendectomy performed so
late (literally the day before it would have burst), were they better because
he was focused on the task at hand, or was his vitals worse? It's a shame
we'll likely never know and there'll likely never be another auto-appendectomy
performed.

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jhgfgbhn
Wasn't this posted here in 61?

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PatrickTulskie
Didn't Jack do that on Lost?

