USS Carl Vinson’s Medical Team Performs Appendectomy at Sea
TL/DR –
On August 9, while out at sea, a sailor aboard the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier experienced severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with appendicitis by the ship’s surgeon, Cmdr. Debra Lowry. Given the distance from a hospital and the lack of a CT scan machine aboard the ship, Lowry decided to perform an appendectomy (surgical removal of the appendix) on the ship itself, a procedure which was successfully completed by a five-person medical team. The sailor was transferred to the ship’s post-operative care unit for recovery.
Emergency Appendectomy Performed on U.S. Navy Warship
On August 9 while sailing in the Pacific Ocean, the medical staff aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) discovered a Sailor suffering from severe abdominal pain. A thorough physical examination revealed the necessity for urgent medical attention, likely due to appendicitis, according to the ship’s surgeon, Cmdr. Debra Lowry.
The constraints of being at sea made the diagnosis challenging, as there was no immediate access to advanced imaging technology like CT scanners, which are not typically found on carriers. Furthermore, the ship’s location under U.S. 3rd Fleet command and its distance from land-based hospitals left the medical team with no choice but to conduct the surgery at sea.
Cmdr. Lowry stated that the surgery, although routine in hospitals, was the most appropriate course of action given the circumstances. Performing the surgery on board the ship would mean the patient could recover on board and return to duty within one to two weeks, instead of being sent off the ship possibly for up to a month.
Cmdr. Lowry led a medical team of five in performing the laparoscopic appendectomy. The team, including Lt. Cmdr. Julia Camp, Lt. j.g. Kimberly Graff, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Christopher Melo, and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Steve Choi, utilized the modern minimally invasive technique, inspecting the abdominal organs with a slender, illuminated tube equipped with a video camera while removing the appendix.
The procedure was completed in just over an hour, and the patient was subsequently moved to the ship’s post-operative care unit. The team continued to monitor the patient for any potential complications while administering medication to aid in swift recovery. Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Christopher Melo stated, “The surgery went smoothly. As a surgical team at sea, it’s crucial for us to be prepared at all times.”
Currently, the USS Carl Vinson is operating under the U.S. 3rd Fleet in the Indo-Pacific. This fleet plays a significant role in maintaining naval forces in the region, carrying out important training exercises for sea control and power projection. It works closely with other numbered fleets to provide ready forces for various military needs.
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