Shocking: he operated on himself [Attention, harsh images]

There are some moments where the human power to overcome the pain and the will to survive is more important than everything.
The story I read happened in 1961 and is of concern to a Soviet surgeon doctor, who was forced to operate on himself without anesthesia, in order to live. The it – surgery was done, while he was on an expedition in frozen Siberia. The photos are from the surgery that.



In 1961, the surgeon Leonid Ρογκόζοφ, participated as a doctor in the research the Soviet mission to the station Νοβολαζερέφσκαγια located in Northern Siberia with temperatures exceeding -60 degrees Celsius. Everything flowed smoothly and the mission, with 13 scientists and researchers carry out the work they had undertaken in that cold and remote station.
On the morning of 29 April, The Ρογκόζοφ, he felt intense nausea, terrible abdominal pains, and had uploaded, and fever. He took some painkillers to calm him down even though he as a doctor had already made the diagnosis. He knew that the pains were probably from appendicitis, and the next day it happened that he was afraid. Presented the first signs of peritonitis. Should immediately be transferred to a hospital. But in that region far above the Arctic circle, the nearest town was more than 1600 kilometers.
The next day, the scientists have communicated with the wireless, so and informed that other missions with your doctor there are close to them, and the plane landing was impossible because of the σφοδρότατης snow storm which fell on 4 days and would continue for another week.
The Ρογκόζοφ he knew he probably would die in the frozen Arctic. At 10 and half at night with unimaginable pain, he decided to do something that had never been done. To operate on himself!!! In the infirmary of the base, together with a driver and a meteorologist for assistants the Ρογκόζοφ would write history.
The driver held up a big mirror and the weatherman, he had the role of εργαλειοδότη. The Ρογκόζοφ lie down in a semi reclining position, turned a little to the left and saw from the mirror that held the driver to the area of the abdomen, where he will operate. With a solution of 0,5% νοβοκαίνης did local anesthesia of the abdominal wall and then with a scalpel to open an incision 10 cm. With the help of the mirror has reached the dangerous point, and explained to the 2 helpers how to clean it and what antibiotics to throw up. During the operation, the Ρογκόζοφ, and every so often “quench” and he lost consciousness, and the nausea wouldn’t leave him. Forced to stop every 10 minutes to take a breath.
The surgery ended about an hour after midnight, and the exhausted surgeon, fell asleep immediately. After a brief period of postoperative weakness, the signs of peritonitis disappeared. The fever is gone and after 5 days the Ρογκόζοφ, he stood up and walked normally. In 2 weeks he resumed his duties at the base.
After months he returned to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and was awarded with the medal of the Order of the Red Banner fleet, which διδόταν eminent scientists. From 1986 to 2000, he served as head of the department of surgery at the Research Institute of St. Petersburg for the lung and tuberculosis. In September of 2000 at the age of 66 years, the Ρογκόζοβ died of lung cancer.