The surgeon Leonid Rogozov: biography and photo

Leonid Rogozov became famous all over the world. Surgeon in the specialty, who managed to independently operate himself. The operation to remove the inflamed appendix lasted 1.5 hours. Our article is devoted to the biography of a famous surgeon. Also tell about his family and an outstanding feat.

Childhood of Rogozov

Leonid Rogozov was born in Transbaikalia. His father worked as a chauffeur, and his mother as a milkmaid. The family lived poorly after the authorities took the latter from them, considering them rich. Immediately after the "dekulakization" Rogozov was sent to Alma-Ata. But there they did not stay long, and in 1936 they moved to Minusinsk. Leonid was just 2 years old. Until that time, he already had older brother and sister, and Minusinsk also had a younger brother.

War time

When the war began, Leonid's father was taken to the front, where he died in 1943. Mother worked all day long at night on logging. And Lenya, as the most responsible, remained for the elder. As one of the sisters said, he always helped everyone. At first he cared for others and only lastly thought about himself.

Life of Leonid in the postwar period

Only after the war Leonid was able to finish his studies. He graduated from the seven-year school and entered the college on the specialty of "mountain master". His profession did not attract, but the family did not have enough money, and students received a scholarship. Leonid tried to ease the life of his mother and studied diligently, receiving five.

Then he joined the army. After the service I decided to see my brother who lived in Leningrad. The city of Leonid so much that he decided to move there to permanent residence. In Leningrad in 1953 he entered the Pediatric Medical Institute. Study was given to him easily. In 1959, he graduated from the Institute and was enrolled in surgical clinical residency. For the time of the expedition to Antarctica, he had to interrupt the training temporarily. Practice young doctor Leonid Rogozov was held in Minusinsk. Subsequently, he worked in different hospitals. Leonid finished his medical career, having headed the Department of Surgery of the Leningrad Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology.

Hobbies and character Rogozov

Leonid was a talented, very sociable person. He always cared about others, was very gallant with the girls. His hobbies were sports and music. Leonid was engaged with bars, went skiing, played football. He was always attracted to everything new, unknown. Many girls were in love with him. But Leonid met with only one. Together they were not meant to be. The girl was sent to work in another city.

Expedition to Antarctica

For the expedition to Antarctica volunteer doctors were recruited. Leonid Rogozov, with his thirst for knowledge of everything new, immediately agreed, without hesitation and no doubt. With him he drove a huge suitcase. Only instead of clothes in it he folded mostly books and did not forget his favorite weight. In this expedition, Leonid had to do to himself an operation to remove appendicitis. Thanks to this occasion, he became known to the whole world.

Incredible operation

In 1961, a new Soviet Antarctic station was opened. It was called Novolazarevskaya. An Antarctic expedition was sent to it, in which Leonid also participated. The first wintering on it made him famous all over the world.

April 29, 1961 Leonid felt nausea, weakness, heat and acute pain in the appendix. Out of 13 people, he was the only doctor in this expedition. I had to diagnose myself: acute appendicitis. He tried conservative methods of treatment with antibiotics, cold, hunger and rest. But the next day he became even worse. The temperature jumped higher.

There were no planes at that time at any of the nearest stations. Even if the aircraft were found, the flight to the Novolazarevskaya station was still impossible due to bad weather conditions. To save Leonid's life could only have an urgent operation, but for this a surgeon was required. And since there was no one to lead it, there was only one way out - to do the operation to oneself.

April 30 at night all the preparations were made. Rogozov volunteered to be assisted by a meteorologist who gave the surgeon tools, and a mechanical engineer holding a mirror in the abdomen of the patient and directing the light from the lamp to the operation site. The station chief was on duty next to insure the Leonid's assistants and replace them if they felt bad from what they saw.

In the lying position, Rogozov made himself an injection of novocaine. Then use a scalpel incision in the right ileal region. The mirror helped, but distorted the review. Therefore, the inflamed appendix was to be looked for with bare hands, without gloves. It was difficult to find it by touch, and it took Leonid a lot of time - almost 40 minutes. But still he cut it out. The wound had to be sewn, besides, the surgeon injured another internal organ during the incision, and he also had to "mend" it.

Since Rogozov by this time is very weak, the end of the operation was even slower. Dizziness started, general weakness appeared. But Leonid nevertheless completed the operation successfully and after 7 days had already removed the seams. This event not only brought the young surgeon world fame. Thus a song was born dedicated to Leonid Rogozov. Wrote it Vladimir Vysotsky.

Personal life of Rogozov

The expedition returned from Antarctica to Leningrad in 1962. Leonid brought home a penguin, from which he made a scarecrow. It was his talisman, which the surgeon put in his new two-room apartment. Since he was not yet married, his mother moved to live with him to help in everyday life.

This became known Leonid Rogozov. Operation glorified him to the whole world, and the young surgeon began to receive a lot of letters. One of them interested him. The girl Marcela from Czechoslovakia invited the surgeon to visit. Since Rogozov owned several languages, he decided to accept the invitation and practice in Czech.

As soon as he saw Marcela, immediately realized that this is his love. And in a few days I made her an offer. The wedding was played twice - in Czechoslovakia and in the Soviet Union. To live remained in Leningrad. They had two children: a daughter and a son. Leonid's wife really missed her homeland, but he could not leave for Czechoslovakia, here he was kept a lot. As a result, while Rogozov lay in the hospital, his wife collected things, took the children and left for Czechoslovakia. So unsuccessfully ended the first marriage.

The second time Leonid married a Bulgarian. But after a while he divorced, this marriage was also not happy. Then he decided to completely go to work with his head. I only came home to spend the night, all the while I was disappearing in the hospital.

The death of Leonid Rogozov

In the late 90's Rogozov gathered for his brother, who lived in Tuapse. Leonid wanted to sell his apartment and buy a small house there. Just before he left, he decided to undergo a full medical examination. As a result, it turned out that he had stomach cancer. They did the operation, but it did not help, and Rogozov died in 2000.

A site for burial was found only on Kovalevsky cemetery. There was no choice: I had to agree. The place turned out to be swamped. The family, friends and colleagues escaped to Leonid's last journey. But the two former wives and children did not come. Mother could hardly save money from her tiny pension for a small monument.

For his difficult life, Leonid Rogozov received distinctive signs and a letter of the Central Committee of the Komsomol. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.