Habebty
Well-Known Member
i believe that in the distant past the BAS did insist on an elective appendicectomy (and maybe astronauts?)
however if 1 in 10000 people haing a general anaesthetic die, then fairly quickly you start killing more folk than saving.
and, as tudorsailor has pointed out, there is a fair chance you can delay things until you get shoreside, even on ARC, with antibiotics
some russian scientist did do his own about 3 years ago with a mirror and live phone link to a surgeon, in the southern winter (they would be dosed up with antibiotics and flown out at other times of year)
I was shortlisted for a job with BAS about twenty two-ish years ago. It came down to me and one other chap. I later heard that the deciding factor was that he had his appendix already removed so he got the job. There was a lot of information given at the interview about the seriousness of medical conditions and what might happen if I became ill!!
Interesting interview though, the entire panel resembled Chris Bonnington lookalikes apart from the personnel guy. I was sat in a leather armchair flanked by two stuffed Emperor Penguins!