Leonid Rogozov became famous throughout the world. A surgeon by profession, who was able to independently operate himself. The operation to remove the inflamed appendix lasted 1.5 hours. Our article is dedicated to the biography of a famous surgeon. We will also tell about his family and outstanding feat.
Rogozov childhood
Leonid Rogozov was born in Transbaikalia. His father worked as a driver, and his mother as a milkmaid. The family lived poorly after the authorities took the last from them, considering them rich. Immediately after the "dispossession", the Rogozovs were sent to Alma-Ata. But they did not stay there long, and in 1936 they moved to Minusinsk. Leonid was just 2 years old. Until that time, he already had older brothers and a sister, and a younger one appeared in Minusinsk.
War time
When the war began, Leonid's father was taken to the front, where he died in 1943. Mother worked all day until night on logging. And Lenya, as the most responsible, remained for the elder. As one of the sisters told, he always helped everyone. At first, he took care of others and only last thought of himself.
The life of Leonid in the post-war period
Only after the war Leonid could finish his studies. He graduated from the seven-year school and enrolled in the specialty "mountain master". The profession did not attract him, but the family did not have enough money, and students received a scholarship. Leonid tried to make his mother's life easier and studied diligently, getting fives.
Then he joined the army. After the service, I decided to visit my brother who lived in Leningrad. Leonid liked the city so much that he decided to move there for permanent residence. In Leningrad in 1953, he entered the Pediatric Medical Institute. Studying was easy for him. In 1959, he graduated from the institute and was enrolled in surgical clinical residency. During the expedition to Antarctica, he had to temporarily interrupt his studies. The practice of a young doctor Leonid Rogozov was held in Minusinsk. Subsequently, he worked in various hospitals. Leonid finished his medical career as head of the surgery department of the Leningrad Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology.
Hobbies and character of Rogozov
Leonid was a talented, very sociable person. He always cared for others, was very gallant with girls. His hobbies were sports and music. Leonid practiced barbells, skied, played football. He was always attracted by everything new, unknown. Many girls were in love with him. But Leonid met only one. Together they were not destined 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 without doubt. He carried a huge suitcase with him. Only instead of clothes in it, he folded mainly books and did not forget his favorite weight. In this expedition, Leonid had to perform an operation to remove appendicitis on his own. Thanks to this occasion, he became known throughout the world.
Incredible operation
In 1961, a new Soviet Antarctic station was opened. They called her Novolazarevskaya. An Antarctic expedition was sent to it, in which Leonid also participated. The very first wintering on it made him famous throughout the world.
On April 29, 1961, Leonid felt nausea, weakness, high fever and sharp pain in the appendix. Of 13 people, he was the only doctor on this expedition. I had to diagnose myself: acute appendicitis. He tried conservative treatments with antibiotics, cold, hunger, and rest. But the next day he became even worse. The temperature jumped higher.
There were no aircraft at that time at any of the nearest stations. Even if aircraft were found, a flight to Novolazarevskaya station was still impossible due to bad weather conditions. Only an emergency operation could save Leonid's life, but this required a surgeon. And since there was no one to conduct it, there was only one way out - to do the surgery on his own.
On April 30 at night, all preparations were made. Rogozov volunteered to help meteorologist, who gave the surgeon tools, and a mechanical engineer, holding a mirror near the patient’s stomach and directing light from the lamp to the place of operation. The station manager was on duty nearby to insure Leonid’s assistants and replace them if they feel bad from what they see.
In a prone position, Rogozov gave himself an injection of novocaine. Then, with a scalpel, an incision in the right iliac region. The mirror, although it helped, but distorted the view. Therefore, the inflamed appendix had to be searched with bare hands, without gloves. Finding it by touch was difficult, and it took Leonid a lot of time - almost 40 minutes. But still he cut it out. The wound had to be sutured, in addition, the surgeon during the cut damaged another internal organ, and he also had to be “darned”.
Since Rogozov was very weak by this time, the end of the operation was even slower. Dizziness began, general weakness appeared. But Leonid nevertheless completed the operation successfully and after 7 days he had already removed the stitches. This event not only brought world fame to the young surgeon. So the song was born dedicated to Leonid Rogozov. It was written by 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 mascot, 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.
So Leonid Rogozov became known. The operation made him famous all over the world, and a lot of letters began to come to the young surgeon. One of them interested him. The girl Marcela from Czechoslovakia invited the surgeon to visit. Since Rogozov spoke several languages, he decided to accept the invitation and practice in Czech.
As soon as he saw Marcela, he immediately realized that this was his love. And a few days later he proposed to her. The wedding was played twice - in Czechoslovakia and in the Soviet Union. They stayed 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, a lot of things kept him here. As a result, while Rogozov was in the hospital, his wife packed up, took the children, and left for Czechoslovakia. So the first marriage ended unsuccessfully.
The second time Leonid married a grinder. But after a while divorced, this marriage was also not happy. Then he decided to completely leave for work. He came home only to spend the night, all the while disappearing in the hospital.
The death of Leonid Rogozov
In the late 90s, Rogozov gathered for his brother, who lived in Tuapse. Leonid wanted to sell his apartment and buy a small house there. Before leaving, 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.
The burial site was found only at the Kovalevsky cemetery. There was no choice: I had to agree. The place was swampy. Relatives, friends and colleagues saw off Leonid’s last journey. But both ex-wives and children did not come. Mother barely managed to save money from her tiny pension for a small monument.
For his difficult life, Leonid Rogozov received the decals and diploma of the Komsomol Central Committee. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.