Hear me out….do you think you could perform an appendicitis if you had to?

[Ettubrutus]

Let’s say you had 48hrs to practice

Plus a surgical dummy to practice on

And books (you don’t have the internet)

And all the equipment you’d need

AND the person is going to die if you DONT do it

a) Do you think you could pull it off?

*surgeons of MN please come and tell us if the average person could or not given the above

** you get an assistant to suction and stuff

You’ve got a picture book though!

Yes, absolutely - based on nothing other than its the kind of fiddly task I love.

Unrelated casual question: These books have a minute step by step guide, right 😆

It would be the pulling something off someone else that would worry me.

I mean if they’re going to die anyway without it, and there’s nobody else around, I’d give it a go. I’d like to think I’d have a reasonable stab at it. No pun intended.

I was literally coming on just to say this 😂😂😂

that book is a classic

If the patient can wait 48 hours for you to practise doing it then they can have some IV antibiotics and be medivac'd to somewhere where it's safe to do an appendicectomy. I'm an anaesthetist, have seen thousands of appendicectomies and wouldn't be at all up for having a bash at it.

A friend - who is a consultant - once told me that people vastly overestimate how difficult it is to learn to be a doctor. I was going to say yes on that basis but then I remembered how much cutting up raw meat grosses me out so now I'm not sure.

I think I could give it a good go! if they’re going to die anyway, I think I could probably get something down that would tie them over for a while, until they can get actual help 😂 surely you just identify the appendix, and make sure there’s no loose and leaking ends?😂

Yes, I'd give it a go.

I've assisted at hundreds of caesarean sections so I think I'd have a head start on people who are relying on having binge-watched every episode of Greys Anatomy.

No of course not. Am a non-surgical doctor and wouldn't even know where to start. Especially as presumably you don't have an anaesthetist either- don't fancy abdominal surgery on a moving target.

Plus how would you be confident in your diagnosis? If you have all the stuff to diagnose, then you are somewhere they have surgeons.

I'm sure I could if I was allowed to YouTube it first. 😅 I used to work in an abbatoir so very used to cutting 'meat', I also do a lot of sewing so would do lovely neat stitches.

I looked up how they do it when I saw that episode. I'd try but I think I'd do a Mary Steenburgen.

Me too. Just don't forget the purse strings. Simple! Although the greys interns always seem to mess it up!

Appendectomy, no.
But I reckon I could have a good go at a post mortem. Based entirely on years of ghoulish tv/ reading.

So enough pain relief available to cut him open without him moving, and all the surgical instruments to not just hack out an appendix but sew everything back together including the correct layers of the abdomen? And then dress it and keep it adequately clean?

Yeah Id give it a go if it was life or death and I had those aids. As above based on having watched every episode of greys anatomy.

I’m a dentist but I’m not sure. Far more comfortable with hard tissue. In a last man on earth, would die anyway situation I would give it a go

Are we in a post apocalypse situation? It might be in my interest to do it for something to eat.

I wonder whether you can eat an appendix.

Yes I think I could do that , I could also do a c section if I needed to or any procedures (eg episiotomy) for a birth I think there are some surgical Procedures that in an emergency most people could probably manage

Isn’t it a little pouch ? Might be nice stuffed with any herbs you could forage in the apocalyptic world and steamed over an open fire 😂

I imagine it tastes like liver or kidney. Would do if I was starving. But if wild garlic and some mushrooms.

they often come out already stuffed with a faecolith...not sure what herbs would go well with that!

@Staringatthewalls

we love a confident queen

I seem to remember reading somewhere that you can in emergency situation take appendix out with a spoon? not sure why that would be the case but i’d be happier weilding a spoon than a scalpel