...email from fellow 1977 w/o Alex Zaitzev...


So here just facts: it was happened in 6th SAE in Novolazarevskaya
station. Doctor on station was just single, so the assistant was
a mechanic. It was at April 30, 1961. The operation take 2 hours.
He take position that he saw own body and use mirror when open
body - he make 12 cm cut through which he find appendix.
After 5 days doctor feel good and after 7 days he take away wires
which they use to sewing body. His name Leonid Rogozov.
He publish the short note about in the Information Bulletin of
Soviet Antarctic Expedition, no. 37, pp. 42-44, 1962.

After this case it was happened another time but I have not information.
In my laboratory was a real case - doctor do appendix operation 
during traverse Mirny-Dome C. It was in 29 SAE on the way back from 
Dome C to Mirny. At 13 February 1984  Valentin Gorbachev, radioengeneer
and magnetician, felt bad and become clear that it is appendix. 
In snow traverse was a doctor Igor Mogirev, who spent a winter
at Vostok station and agreed to take part in traverse as a cook
and occasionally as  a doctor . So they arrange clean room
in the living sledge (balok ?) behind of tractor. As it was necessary to
keep clean atmosphere they switch off diesel heater so during operation
was very cold as outside was almost minus 50 degrees C. The stop of
traverse for operation was on 999 km from Mirny inside Antarctica. 
The operation was successful - and after two days they begin to 
move toward Mirny. This fellow, V. Gorbachev now is 63 and happy.
>----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Novolazarevskaya was at 70°S 11°E, set up in 1960-61 on rock in Queen
Maud Land 50 miles inland from the ice edge. It was closed in 1992]