PACIFIC OCEAN – Medical Department aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) learned of a Sailor who had severe abdominal pain, Aug. 9. After a physical exam, it became clear that the Sailor needed urgent medical attention.

Despite having limited access to specific medical equipment and the unique challenges of being on a U.S. Navy warship at sea, the medical personnel aboard "America's Favorite Carrier" remained composed and managed the challenge.

“It was clear to me, based on multiple factors, that what we were looking at was likely appendicitis,” said Cmdr. Debra Lowry, the ship’s surgeon. “The problem here on the ship is that we do not have a CT scanner, which is what we would commonly use to diagnose appendicitis at a hospital.”

The absence of a CT scanner aboard Vinson, coupled with the ship's current transit in the 3rd Fleet area of responsibility and its distance from a hospital, presented a notable limitation in accessing advanced medical imaging technology and immediate contingency medical care.

“We were not going to be anywhere close to shore anytime soon,” said Lowry. “It’s a very routine surgery that I would do in the hospital so I felt very safe in performing it. If we were deployed, we would possibly have to send the patient somewhere that might not be a military installation and we could lose that Sailor for possibly two weeks, maybe up to a month, or potentially have them sent back to homeport. When they get the surgery here, they can recover here and get back to their job within one to two weeks so we aren’t taking them away from that.”

The medical procedure included a five-person team led by Lowry. Lt. Cmdr. Julia Camp, Lt. j.g. Kimberly Graff, Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Christopher Melo, and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Steve Choi would collectively undertake the laparoscopic appendectomy. A laparoscopy is a minimally invasive surgical technique employing a slender, illuminated tube equipped with a video camera to inspect the abdominal organs, while an appendectomy refers to the surgical extraction of the appendix, situated in the lower right region of the abdomen.

“The standard care is to surgically remove the appendix, and essentially, the longer we wait to do the surgery, the higher the chance for it to burst or be perforated, which causes complications down the road,” said Lowry. “HM3 Choi is my surgical tech, and he was my assistant during the surgery, and HM1 Melo is my second surgical tech, and he was working in the room to make sure that we had everything we needed. I also had Physician’s Assistant Lt. j.g. Graff assisting me with the surgery. And, of course, I couldn’t do anything without having my anesthesia provider, Lt. Cmdr. Camp; she’s the one who puts them to sleep and wakes them up for me.”

Performing surgeries aboard U.S. Navy warships, such as the Carl Vinson, is a notable occurrence. While not unprecedented, it had been a while since the last time Vinson’s medical team conducted such a procedure.

“The surgery took about an hour,” said Lowry. “Maybe a bit longer than normal because we were getting in our groove; we hadn’t had to do any surgeries aboard recently even though we’ve had a lot of trainings. It was good for us go through the motions and do a real surgery for my team.”

The medical team took prompt action and effectively averted a crisis in just over an hour. They successfully performed the appendectomy procedure and transferred the Sailor to post-operative care aboard the ship. The medical team monitored for any potential complications and administered medications and support to facilitate a prompt recovery.

“The surgery was very smooth; it went quick, very efficient,” said Melo. “We haven’t had a major surgery in around two and a half years, and we had the best outcome. We always have to stay ready for anything that can happen. It’s a life-saving procedure if we don’t act fast enough, and the patient can deteriorate. It’s important for us to be prepared at all times.”

Carl Vinson (CVN 70) is currently underway in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations. As an integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific in addition to providing realistic and relevant training necessary to flawlessly execute our Navy’s timeless roles of sea control and power projection. U.S. 3rd Fleet works in close coordination with other numbered fleets to provide commanders with capable, ready forces to deploy forward and win in day-to-day competition, in crisis, and in conflict.

Story originally posted on DVIDS: Carl Vinson Medical Department Performs Surgery at Sea