# The Most Extreme Surgical Procedures **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 13, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686 "2007-07-13T18:23:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/21 "2007-07-17T16:54:36Z")
[http://www.handtransplant.com/](http://www.handtransplant.com/) That link indicates that the third successful hand transplant has now been completed at a hospital in Louisville, KY. ---
**Author:** ![solkoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2007, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/22 "2007-07-18T00:28:51Z")
The [Whipple procedure](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipple_procedure) may be the most commonly performed radical surgery. It is performed on people with pancreatic cancer. > [@](#): > > The Whipple procedure today is very similar to Whipple’s original procedure. It consists of removal of the distal half of the stomach (antrectomy), the gall bladder (cholecystectomy), the distal portion of the common bile duct (choledochectomy), the head of the pancreas, duodenum, proximal jejunum, and regional lymph nodes. Reconstruction consists of attaching the pancreas to the jejunum (pancreaticojejunostomy) and attaching the common bile duct to the jejunum (choledochojejunostomy) to allow digestive juices and bile to flow into the gastrointestinal tract and attaching the stomach to the jejunum (gastrojejunostomy) to allow food to pass through. Only 1 in 5 will actually have the surgery after being opened up and in most cases the procedure is only life extending not a cure. ---
**Author:** ![Angel1366](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5a626/32.png) [@Angel1366](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel1366)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/23 "2011-02-09T06:06:17Z")
i had a hemicorporectomy in may of 2010. For what i have found out there are only 18 of us alive. only about 120 reported done and only 26 to live with 18 of us left. i started a site in march of 2010 and still try to keep it updated. [hemicorporectomy.org](http://hemicorporectomy.org) Angel ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/24 "2011-02-09T10:26:02Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > FWIW, I can’t find a code for hemicorporectomy in the ICD (International Classification of Diseases) system, which says to me that it’s vanishingly rare. Hm, going by mrAru’s home copy of CPT plus, the insurance code is with orthoplasty - 27125 ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/25 "2011-02-09T16:17:41Z")
> [@Sal\_Ammoniac](#): > > FWIW, I can’t find a code for hemicorporectomy in the ICD (International Classification of Diseases) system, which says to me that it’s vanishingly rare. Maybe when performed by surgeons; it’s fairly commonly [performed by magicians](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawing_a_woman_in_half). ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/26 "2011-02-09T16:19:07Z")
> [@Angel1366](#): > > i had a hemicorporectomy in may of 2010. > For what i have found out there are only 18 of us alive. only about 120 reported done and only 26 to live with 18 of us left. > i started a site in march of 2010 and still try to keep it updated. > [hemicorporectomy.org](http://hemicorporectomy.org) > Angel I’m amazed and thanks for the link. Welcome to the SDMB. Perhaps you could give us some details of your life in one of the other forums like MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/27 "2011-02-09T17:00:42Z")
> [@solkoe](#): > > The [Whipple procedure](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whipple_procedure) may be the most commonly performed radical surgery. It is performed on people with pancreatic cancer. > > Only 1 in 5 will actually have the surgery after being opened up and in most cases the procedure is only life extending not a cure. My dad had that. It has so many things that can wrong, one usually does. Extended his life by four months. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/28 "2011-02-09T20:44:27Z")
I remember seeing something many years ago on tv that showed a surgery that sounded something like the exteneration that was mentioned. In this case, however, the patient was at one point in the operation suspended above the table slightly, and turned on his side. One team of surgeons were behind him, one in front, and there was clearly a view _through_ him. ---
**Author:** ![SmithCommaJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/29 "2011-02-09T21:31:48Z")
Replacing a patient’s blood with Mountain Dew while skydiving is pretty eXtreme ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686/30 "2011-02-10T02:30:43Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > In looking this up, I found one procedure called a hemicorporectomy, … > > I stumbled across this myself a short while back. I saw what you did there. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-extreme-surgical-procedures/411686.md?page=1)