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Tech. Sgt. Michelle Cools removes the IV from Tech. Sgt. Charles Bean's wrist before he is able to check out of the clinic July 28 at Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan. Sergeant Cools is a 376th Expeditionary Medical Group medical technician, and Sergeant Bean had to have surgery for appendicitis. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Les Waters)
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Manas medics perform expeditionary appendectomy
Posted 8/17/2007
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by Staff Sgt. Lesley Waters
376th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
8/17/2007 - MANAS AIR BASE, Kyrgyzstan (AFPN) -- A Manas Air Base Airman got a dose of expeditionary medicine recently when he reported to the 376th Expeditionary Medical Group.
Tech. Sgt. Charles Bean of the 376th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management wasn't a victim of the gastrointestinal ailment that sometimes plagues deployers, his case was a little more severe.
Maj. (Dr.) Joshua Carey, a 376th Expeditionary Medical Group general surgeon and the chief of medical staff, made the diagnosis -- appendicitis.
Ironically, Sergeant Bean was relieved at the news.
"At least they were able to pinpoint what was wrong and know that they could take care of it for me," He said. "I just wanted to get better."
Major Carey explained the options and Sergeant Bean immediately chose his course of action.
"When Major Carey said he could perform the operation here, I said 'Let's do this,'" the NCO said.
Never once did the thought of the surgery being done in a deployed environment concern him.
"I wasn't upset or scared," Sergeant Bean said . "I thought I would be since I am away from home and family, but with the confidence the surgeon offered me, I knew everything would be OK."
Within 1.5 hours, Sergeant Bean was prepped and ready for surgery. During the operation, Major Carey said he was able to ascertain that Sergeant Bean's appendix had ruptured, but was localized and contained.
Once the infection was cleaned out, Major Carey used about three liters of fluid to wash out the infected area, before making one last sweep of the belly for any additional infection. He then closed the layers of muscle and finally the skin with staples.
About an hour after it started, the surgery was done and Sergeant Bean was on the road to recovery.
"I am not one to normally go see a doctor, but I wouldn't bat an eye to come back and see them," Sergeant Bean said. "I think I received better care here than I would have back home. Since I was the only inpatient, I got the personalized treatment. I felt like royalty around here, it was great."
"This is an example of expedition medicine at its best," said Col. David Hocking, 376th EMDG commander. "We identified a medical issue, treated the patient and returned him to the fight. This is exactly why we have a surgical team at Manas."
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