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

Well I correctly diagnosed my son's appendicitis after hospital doctors failed to and sent him home! Classic symptoms btw.

To be fair, I didn't perform the operation, and given that it was infected by then, just as well really.

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but some people have to get their appendix removed if they’re staying in Antarctica for a length of time. This makes me think the average person probably couldn’t take one out or people would probably just take the risk.

However, if the situation arose I’m interested in biology, I’m crafty so I’m good with fiddly things and I’m not easily disgusted. I assume this would be an open textbook operation and I could check my notes as I go along?

But what about the anastomosis?

(I have NO idea what that is but it's mentioned in nearly every episode so it must be common)

No - I wouldn’t have the dexterity. More though I just can’t imagine my scalpel cutting into someone even just at the skin level. All the learning from the book would be out the window in a flash.

If it was just me they’d die from my efforts so I’d prefer to try to keep them comfortable and get some kind of help from one of you that are brave or better still a surgeon.

I'd have a go if there were some reliable way to make the patient keep still. I'm definitely not going to operate on someone who's wriggling.

Yes I could, but as per pp I'm a vet and do a lot of intestinal surgery. I've never fancied operating on people (or surviving an apocalypse tbh) but I could if I had to. Do I think that Jo(e) Public with no medical/surgical background could do it? Sorry to all the Grey's Anatomy fans but no. Being inside a body with scalpel in your hand is very different to watching it on TV, or even watching it in real life.

Another vet here who'd give it a good bash!

I'd give it a crack. With 48 hrs to practice, although the pt would be dead from sepsis potentially then, or have complications as the infection is worse and could be difficult to irrigate the site after, but yeah, I'd give it a go

I'm a nurse, I'm not sure if I could do it tbh.

Even if they survived the op (unlikely) surely they'd just die of peritonitis unless you had antibiotics to give them?

Would give it a go
I removed a concretion from my inner eyelid, some bone after a tooth extraction and took out my own armpit stitches so I'm very much give it a go
Oh and a coil that was halfway out as a&e wanted to wait for gynae and I couldn't take the pain any longer

God no! I'm so squeamish I can't even watch operations on TV. I would puke and/or faint within 0.2 seconds of attempting to cut into the patient's skin with a scalpel. Sorry buddy, but your time is up.

Yes

But I am an ex theatre sister...

This escalated quickly 😅

Yes why not! I was the champ at the Operation game.
https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/177399672792197468/

Brilliant thread! Absolute lol at those who aren’t medics who say that they could.

An “appy” isn’t simple as such - it’s simple to someone who has done the best part of a decade of training perhaps, but not to cack handed imbeciles with a greys anatomy box set like me!

A passenger plane and its advanced auto land systems on the other hand, count me in!

Fuck no. I'm a doctor. I can intubate (down to a 500g baby), cannulate, insert umbilical lines, insert chest drains (both traditional and seldinger technique) so not totally cack handed. But ferreting around in the abdomen desperately trying to find a possibly retrocaecal appendix that may already be necrotic and perforated? Nah, there's a reason surgeons actually get training for that.

I've both read The Stand AND seen Last Man On Earth, so yes of course. Well, I'd give it a go.

This is honestly one of the best threads on Mumsnet in years!

Is this a thread about PA’s( physicians assistants) ? Given this what they do…. Although granted it’s two years training rather that 48hr ……😝

The kidneys are not in the abdomen

Yes they are. They're not within the peritoneal cavity, though.

Well, at John Hopkins the surgeons used to say, "see one, do one, teach one".
So how difficult can it be?

I'd give it a try, especially if all the kit was available, plus assistants with suction and wielding retractors.
👩🏻‍⚕️ 🫀 🧑🏻‍🔧 🫀

Yeah I could do it

I can quarter a whole chicken so why not

Ok - I fess up.
I am a real doctor and you tube things.. there’s a procedure called Epley Manoeuvre for a certain type vertigo - you do it one way if the vertigo direction is one way and another if it’s the opposite direction… I always have to look it up because I forget.
I am not a surgeon but I have diagnosed lots appendicitis- it’s actually difficult to get right clinically- if you have access to scans and imaging the diagnosis can still be wrong. I would be reluctant to operate with no drugs and no anaesthetist in that basis.
There is a famous case of a GP in rural Australia who operated on a blood clot beneath the skull with a black and decker drill saving the persons life.

I've seen every episode of Grey's Anatomy. I think I got this.

Pass me a 10 blade. If things go south, push one of epi.

Who wants to assist me? 😁

I’m a doctor who manages airways. I laughed out loud at the person who’d give a ‘tracheotomy’ a crack.

I know a doctor who worked in Antarctica. He had his appendix out as nobody else would be expected to be able to remove it. As a GP (not a surgeon) he would have been expected
to perform an appendicectomy
with support from surgeons on the phone from his home country after having done some additional training before he left.