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Pada tahun 1961, Rogozo, seorang doktor soviet yang ditempatkan di pengkalan Rusia di Antartika mengalami kesulitan apabila belaiu mengalami masalah appendiks dan memerlukan pembedahan. Masalahnya bertambah rumit apabila beliau adalah satu-satunya doktor di pengkalan tersebut dan semua pengangkutan lumpuh akibat ribut salji. Akhirnya beliau mengambil keputusan untuk melakukan pembedahan itu sendiri dalam keadaan sedar.



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I worked without gloves. It was hard to see. The mirror helps, but it also hinders — after all, it’s showing things backwards. I work mainly by touch. The bleeding is quite heavy, but I take my time — I try to work surely. Opening the peritoneum, I injured the blind gut and had to sew it up. Suddenly it flashed through my mind: there are more injuries here and I didn’t notice them … I grow weaker and weaker, my head starts to spin. Every 4-5 minutes I rest for 20-25 seconds. Finally, here it is, the cursed appendage! With horror I notice the dark stain at its base. That means just a day longer and it would have burst and…
At the worst moment of removing the appendix I flagged: my heart seized up and noticeably slowed; my hands felt like rubber. Well, I thought, it’s going to end badly. And all that was left was removing the appendix… And then I realised that, basically, I was already saved.

Menakjubkan, selepas dua minggu belaiu kembali bekerja seperti biasa dan terus hidup sampai tahun 2000, mati pada umur 66 tahun.