The key facts

  • Submarine K-55, with a crew of more than 100 people, was carrying out a mission to transfer to the Pacific Ocean, and landing the sick medic was impossible
  • Shapovalov diagnosed himself with appendicitis and decided to operate on himself before peritonitis set in
  • Two sailors assisted in the operation: one handed over instruments and watched through a mirror, the other directed the light and monitored the medic's consciousness

Emergency Aboard the K-55

In June 1968, the nuclear submarine K-55, part of the USSR's Northern Fleet, was on duty in the Arctic Ocean. The captain received an order to take the vessel to the Pacific Ocean, and the submarine headed for the Bering Strait. More than 100 servicemen were aboard, among them military medic Alexei Shapovalov, who was responsible for the crew's health.

An Illness That Could Not Be Postponed

When the submarine entered the Chukchi Sea, the medic himself suddenly developed severe abdominal pain, and then his temperature began to rise. The experienced doctor made his own diagnosis: appendicitis. He reported to the captain, but turning the vessel back to shore and landing Shapovalov was absolutely impossible — the submarine was on an important mission.

A Choice Between Death and Surgery

The situation was dangerous: if the appendicitis ruptured, peritonitis and suppuration of internal organs would begin, and the medic's death would be inevitable. Shapovalov faced a choice: lie down and wait for death or, despite the enormous risk, operate on himself. He chose the latter.

How the Operation Went

Shapovalov turned an ordinary table in his cramped cabin into an operating table, sterilized all the instruments, and chose two assistants from among the sailors. A sailor named Merkulov was to hand over instruments and, using a mirror, show the doctor the course of the operation. The second sailor directed the light and made sure the medic did not lose consciousness if necessary.