In Taldom, in the Moscow region, doctors spent 45 days saving a woman with neglected appendicitis

The woman went without help for two weeks with appendicitis and arrived at the hospital with terminal peritonitis and blood poisoning. Surgeons at the Dubna Hospital in Taldom performed eight minimally invasive operations; the patient spent 33 days in intensive care and was discharged on the 45th day.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 10 November 2026 at 16:322 min read

The key facts

The patient endured the pain for two weeks; the appendix underwent gangrenous changes and detached, and pus spilled into the abdominal cavity
Surgeons performed eight gentle laparoscopic operations instead of one large one
Treatment took 45 days, 33 of them in intensive care; the patient was discharged under outpatient observation

Two weeks without help: how a neglected appendicitis ended

In Taldom, in the Moscow region, doctors saved a woman who had gone without medical care for about two weeks as appendicitis developed. An ambulance brought her to the surgical department of the Dubna Hospital in critical condition — with terminal peritonitis and blood poisoning. This was reported to Life.ru by the Moscow region Health Ministry. Ultrasound and CT scans revealed severe complications of the neglected inflammation: over 14 days the appendix had undergone gangrenous changes — it had essentially rotted away and detached. The inflammatory infiltrate around it had broken down, and pus with intestinal contents had spilled into the abdominal cavity.

Eight operations instead of one

Vadim Afroskin, head of the surgery department in Taldom, said that instead of one large and traumatic operation, the doctors chose a gentle, multi-stage approach: through small incisions, the abdominal cavity was repeatedly washed out, removing pus and necrotic tissue. In total, eight repeat laparoscopic operations were performed. The patient spent 33 days in the anesthesiology and intensive care department, and after intensive treatment and rehabilitation she was able to walk on her own again. On the 45th day she was discharged under outpatient observation.

A similar case: pain 'masquerading as appendicitis'

Life.ru also recalls another recent case in the Moscow region: surgeons saved a man who had accidentally swallowed a toothpick. He was hospitalized with suspected appendicitis, but the cause of the pain turned out to be a sharp object that had damaged his intestine and left a hole in it; the toothpick was removed during surgery. Both examples show how different conditions can produce a similar picture of an 'acute abdomen' — and why, in the case described, doctors initially diagnosed complications of neglected appendicitis based on ultrasound and CT data.