Questions for the surgeons.

[VentAlarm]

Came across this headline on drudge:

https://nypost.com/2022/01/13/town-r...before-moving/

Interesting article. Makes sense (even with the move towards potential non-op management of appendicitis).

For the surgeons in the group: would you have any qualms doing this? For the group, at large: any other thoughts?

[FunkDoc83]

Not a surgeon, but appendicitis isn't the only thing surgical that could pop up. Now tele-surgery, there's the future. Surgeon in NY operates on patient from thousands of miles away!

[Hatton]

I have heard this is the policy for astronauts also.

[Tim]

"Dogs are banned on the island to prevent them from transmitting diseases to the local wildlife."
Geographic arbitrage is one thing, but .......

[nephron]

Requiring an appendectomy is an outdated requirement. I'm no surgeon, but I did read that there have some recent studies suggesting some patients may do well with antibiotics: https://www.facs.org/media/press-rel...a-study-102521
It seems to me like you could opt for an elective appendectomy or bring a prescription of augmentim with you. Having surgery to remove your appendix without having appendicitis is like having the dentist remove your wisdom teeth. I still have my wisdom teeth and my appendix.

[Megalops]

Didn’t a female MD in Antarctica perform her own breast biopsy some years ago?

[childay]

Didn’t a female MD in Antarctica perform her own breast biopsy some years ago?

That sounds familiar
What disease are these dogs gonna give the penguins exactly?

[MPMD]

torsion is a surgical emergency as well...

[VentAlarm]

That sounds familiar
What disease are these dogs gonna give the penguins exactly?

I feel like that’s gotta be a cover. Either people were letting their dogs die in the cold, or they were going to the bathroom inside because it was too cold to walk them, or they ate one too many penguins.

[Tangler]

I really would hate living there! No dog. COLD! DARK! no thanks.
Also still have lots of stuff (gall bladder, appendix, Tonsils, Wisdom teeth), if It ain't broke......

[bovie]

Didn’t a female MD in Antarctica perform her own breast biopsy some years ago?

Don’t know about this—not sure why a biopsy would be so urgent—but a Soviet physician performed his own appendectomy in Antarctica in the 60s.

Prophylactic appendectomy seems overly conservative and borderline silly though, given there are several other potential surgical emergencies in a younger population that may arise. So why stop there?

Especially given new evidence for potential for medical management, as noted above.

Simple procedure that a skilled intern can do, so no problem in that regard and little risk doing it prophylactically, and ethically defensible in my view, but just seems unnecessary.

[VentAlarm]

Don’t know about this—not sure why a biopsy would be so urgent—but a Soviet physician performed his own appendectomy in Antarctica in the 60s.

Prophylactic appendectomy seems overly conservative and borderline silly though, given there are several other potential surgical emergencies in a younger population that may arise. So why stop there?

Especially given new evidence for potential for medical management, as noted above.

Simple procedure that a skilled intern can do, so no problem in that regard and little risk doing it prophylactically, and ethically defensible in my view, but just seems unnecessary.

If someone showed up in your clinic and asked to be booked to an appendectomy, would you do it?

[CordMcNally]

torsion is a surgical emergency as well...

That's why I bring a stapler so I can do my own orchiopexy.

[Bmac]

With an incidence of 1 case/1000/yr and good results with antibiotic treatment alone (at least for initial treatment), prophylactic appendectomy seems rather excessive. Would have to treat all the cholecystitis, diverticulitis, etc. the same way anyhow. Antibiotics and ship to the medical facility 600 miles away.

[VentAlarm]

That's why I bring a stapler so I can do my own orchiopexy.

That escalated quickly…