If you’re a fan of medical literature, you’re probably familiar with Oliver Sacks’ book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. I wouldn’t compare myself to Sacks, but I will borrow his naming convention and adapt it for today’s case: The Surgeon Who Mistook A Vagina for a Rectal Stump
My wife, a double certified radiologist, was once asked to perform a fistulogram on a patient with a previous colostomy and a small bowel obstruction.
She injected contrast into the ostomy, under realtime fluoroscopy, which flowed immediately through the distal colon and out through the rectum onto the table.
Another surgeon called her once about a suspected appendicitis. Her interpretation from the CT was positive to which the surgeon responded, "I took his appendix out two years ago." She told him, "Well, you didn't get it all."
The patient did fine after the 'repeat' appendectomy.
Hard as it is to believe, these things happen more than we'd like to admit.
My wife, a double certified radiologist, was once asked to perform a fistulogram on a patient with a previous colostomy and a small bowel obstruction.
She injected contrast into the ostomy, under realtime fluoroscopy, which flowed immediately through the distal colon and out through the rectum onto the table.
Another surgeon called her once about a suspected appendicitis. Her interpretation from the CT was positive to which the surgeon responded, "I took his appendix out two years ago." She told him, "Well, you didn't get it all."
The patient did fine after the 'repeat' appendectomy.
Hard as it is to believe, these things happen more than we'd like to admit.
Incredible! I'd love to publish a case of repeat appendectomy, haven't ever come across one of those yet!