JustinW
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A British surgeon volunteering in the Democratic Republic of Congo has used text message instructions to perform a life-saving arm amputation, he said.
David Nott knew that the 16-year-old boy needed a forequarter amputation to remove his left shoulder blade after his arm was bitten off by a hippopotamus while he was fishing.
But the general and vascular surgeon had never carried out such an operation before and knew it was a huge risk.
So he text-messaged a London colleague who texted him back telling him how to do it.
"I knew the procedure that was right for him was to have a forequarter operation, which is an enormous operation," he told BBC radio of the procedure he carried out in October.
"In the UK you'd need an intensive care unit to do it. It was a huge undertaking."
Instead, Dr Nott had a pint of blood and an elementary operating theatre.
He text messaged Professor Meirion Thomas, one of the few surgeons in Britain experienced in such procedures.
"He texted back step-by-step instructions on how to do it," Dr Nott said.
"Even then I had to think long and hard about whether it was right to leave a young boy with only one arm in the middle of this fighting.
"But in the end he would have died without it so I took a deep breath and followed the instructions to the letter.
"I knew exactly what my colleague meant because we have operated together many times.
"It was just luck that I was there and could do it.
"That is why I volunteer myself so often, I love being able to save someone's life."
The boy has made a full recovery.
Surce: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...04/2437289.htm
LOLZ!
David Nott knew that the 16-year-old boy needed a forequarter amputation to remove his left shoulder blade after his arm was bitten off by a hippopotamus while he was fishing.
But the general and vascular surgeon had never carried out such an operation before and knew it was a huge risk.
So he text-messaged a London colleague who texted him back telling him how to do it.
"I knew the procedure that was right for him was to have a forequarter operation, which is an enormous operation," he told BBC radio of the procedure he carried out in October.
"In the UK you'd need an intensive care unit to do it. It was a huge undertaking."
Instead, Dr Nott had a pint of blood and an elementary operating theatre.
He text messaged Professor Meirion Thomas, one of the few surgeons in Britain experienced in such procedures.
"He texted back step-by-step instructions on how to do it," Dr Nott said.
"Even then I had to think long and hard about whether it was right to leave a young boy with only one arm in the middle of this fighting.
"But in the end he would have died without it so I took a deep breath and followed the instructions to the letter.
"I knew exactly what my colleague meant because we have operated together many times.
"It was just luck that I was there and could do it.
"That is why I volunteer myself so often, I love being able to save someone's life."
The boy has made a full recovery.
Surce: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...04/2437289.htm
LOLZ!
