Friday, December 05, 2008

Surgery by SMS Saves Boy's Life in the Congo

When a British surgeon volunteering in the Democratic Republic of Congo faced a daunting and complicated surgical amputation of a 16 year old boy, which he had never before performed, he texted his colleague in London for "How-To" help.

Dr. David Nott, a vascular surgeon, explained the boy's arm had been ripped off and was dangerously infected. He knew the boy would die within days if he did not have a forequarter amputation to remove his collar bone and shoulder blade.

Nott's collegue sent step-by-step text message instructions to successfully complete the surgery, which is only performed in the U.K. a handful of times per year.

Read full story here.

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