The most terrible procedures in the hospital. What was your most unpleasant medical procedure? Examination by a dentist

When it comes to modern medicine, one immediately imagines strict doctors in white coats who calmly listen to the patient, make a diagnosis, and prescribe the necessary medications. And all this happens in a comfortable modern office. But in fact, a number of medical procedures have not changed at all over the past centuries and may seem truly barbaric to a person far from medicine.

1. Cleaning the uterus

Obstetrics and gynecology is probably one of the bloodiest fields in medicine. Most women, at some point in their lives, will undergo a procedure known as a cleansing or "curettage" of the uterus. This procedure involves inserting a sharp “curette” into the uterus to scrape out the lining of the uterus. These tissues are then sent for analysis to ensure that the woman does not have signs of developing uterine cancer, especially if she has problems related to menstruation.

In other cases, this procedure may be performed after a miscarriage to ensure that no fetal remains are left inside. Despite the effectiveness of the procedure, it makes one wonder why nothing less creepy has yet been invented.

2. Drilling holes in the skull

Trepanation is probably the oldest procedure in medicine that is still practiced today. Drilling holes in the skull dates back to the times of Hippocrates and early Greek civilization. The principle of the procedure remains largely the same as it was thousands of years ago, but the purpose and methods are different.

The early Greeks used this procedure in the belief that headaches were caused by "excess water in the head, which can lead to an imbalance of body functions." Modern patients undergo this gruesome procedure because large amounts of blood accumulate under their skull bones (most often as a result of severe trauma or an accident). However, unlike the old days of primitive surgery, all this is done under anesthesia.

3. Cauterization of the flesh

Once upon a time, after operations or injuries, a person’s open wounds were cauterized with a hot iron. This sounds, of course, barbaric, but this is still practiced today. Naturally, the process of "cauterization" has been greatly improved and today it is done using a small discharge of electricity, which is provided by a portable electrode. In essence, the operation involves the destruction of a microscopic layer of protein in order to “seal” the blood vessels and stop bleeding.

4. Inserting a tube into the brain

Most people think of the brain as one of the most important and untouchable organs in the body. And the idea that doctors could insert a tube into the brain seems simply outlandish. But a similar operation still exists and is used mainly for excessive accumulation of fluid inside the brain (hydrocephalus) or for excessive intracranial pressure. Naturally, all this is not done “on the knee,” but you just have to imagine: a tube is inserted into your head... deeply.

5. Tracheal intubation

When a person stops breathing, outside intervention is needed to get air into the lungs. Although scientists are trying to develop non-invasive means of making breathing easier, the most effective method is still the most crude and aggressive one, which was used centuries ago.

This method involves placing a special plastic tube (or "endotracheal tube") in the person's trachea. The creepiest thing is how this tube gets there. A metal spacer is inserted into the patient's mouth, and the doctor simply pushes the tube into the trachea.

6. Radiation Exposure

Cancer continues to be one of the most difficult diseases to treat in modern medicine. Until now, scientists' understanding of cancer remains very rudimentary, which is perfectly reflected by modern treatment methods. Typically, cancer is treated through chemotherapy (essentially injecting poison into the body), surgery, radiation therapy, or a combination of all these methods. Radiation therapy is lethal radiation that is aimed at the affected area. This is a real death ray, which can also negatively affect healthy human organs.

7. Invasive surgery

Today, medical science has come a long way in terms of the development of X-rays and other ways to find out what is going on inside the human body. Today there are CT scans, MRIs and a host of other non-invasive methods to determine what happened to the patient’s body. However, this does not always work. Sometimes doctors have to cut the body open and look at what is causing the symptoms or diseases. Although this was much more common in years past, this type of "exploratory surgery" can sometimes be seen today, especially in cases of gunshot wounds and other accidents.

8. Intraosseous cannulation

There are many very cruel operations in medicine, among which one of the most terrible is piercing the knee with a huge needle. There have been numerous variations of this procedure over the centuries, one of which is called "intraosseous cannulation" (passing a large-diameter needle through the knee to deliver drugs directly into the circulatory system, which is very extensive in the front of the knee). However, today such a procedure is seen as a radical measure.

9. Realignment of joints

Surely many have seen how dislocated joints are set. There is little pleasure in this, because the procedure is quite painful. But the point is that the way they did it thousands of years ago is the same way they do it now.

10. Amputation

Over the centuries, nothing has changed in what is done with severely infected and crushed limbs - they are simply removed. If a limb begins to rot after a long period of lack of blood flow, frostbite, burns or severe injury, then doctors amputate it today, as they did many centuries ago.

Modern medicine today is very developed. A particularly huge leap has occurred over the past fifty years. Today, many medical procedures and treatments of the past may terrify you, but they happened nonetheless.

10 PHOTOS

Medieval doctors named the four most important body fluids. These are blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm. It was believed that excess or deficiency of these fluids affected human health. In particular, many doctors believed that many sick people simply had too much blood and the excess needed to be drained. This was done with the help of leeches or by punctures and cuts on the body.

Mercury has been extremely popular in medicine. The ancient Persians and Greeks used it as an ointment, and Chinese alchemists believed that mercury helped prolong life.

ECT, or electroconvulsive therapy, was first used in the 1940s as an alternative to lobotomy for patients with mental disorders.

In 1863, Italian chemist Angelo Mariani patented a medicinal drink made from coca leaves. He called it Vino Mariani. As you guessed, coca leaves are used to produce cocaine.

The discovery of radium led to an entire industry of glowing products, as well as medicines created by charlatans who advised adding radium to drinking water to treat various diseases.

Modern anesthesia is a fairly young science by the standards of medical development. Previously, belladonna was used for anesthesia in combination with other ingredients. The wrong combination or the wrong dosage could lead to death.

Dead mice were used for medicinal purposes in ancient Egypt, where mouse corpses were mixed with other ingredients and used to relieve toothache. Later in England, warts were treated with mice cut in half. Today we know that smoking is harmful. But smoking used to be considered a healthy activity. For example, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, inhaling tobacco smoke was a treatment for asthma.

Human urine has been used as an antiseptic. The Romans used it to whiten teeth. Even now, in folk medicine, urine is often used.

photo: neuroplus.ru

There are medical procedures that are simple and not scary, but on the contrary, there are terrible and unpleasant ones, and I’ll tell you about the latter.

The most unpleasant procedure I have had to do is angiography. Do not do it voluntarily, only according to doctors' indications. This is a very unpleasant and painful procedure. How did I find her? Absolutely by accident. I had an MRI of the cerebral vessels, where they revealed 2 (!) aneurysms. As it turns out, this is a serious disease that often causes sudden death. I was admitted to the hospital and the examination began. One of the procedures was angiography.

This is me after an angiography, they immediately applied a tourniquet

They put you on a table, you lie naked, covered with a sheet, there are many people in white coats around, a lot of equipment and various sensors. They smear your groin with alcohol so much so that everything burns. Then they pierce the artery in the groin to the bone with a huge needle. It was hellish pain. They inject a coloring liquid into your blood and look at your blood vessels on the screen. One of the sensors circles around your head, when it gets closer, there is intense heat in your head and you are on the verge of losing consciousness. Then you jump onto the gurney on your own, like a caterpillar, but you cannot bend your limb, otherwise you will be covered in blood. Then they apply a tourniquet tightly, causing a huge bruise on the body. You can't walk. So you lie on your back for a day, go to the toilet under yourself (in a duck), then slowly walk with a limp. Such a procedure cost about 10 thousand 3 years ago, but if it is a referral from a doctor, then of course it is free. Thanks to angiography, the doctors saw that there were no aneurysms, none at all, and the vessels were clean. Everyone exhaled. Later they added that aneurysms are best seen with a CT scan, and not with an MRI, and if there is no headache, then most likely there are no aneurysms, and my head really doesn’t hurt at all.

photo: interclinik.ru

The second unpleasant procedure that I remember was gastroscopy. I went through it twice and always felt very sick and there were fountains of tears from my eyes. It is done when you need to check your stomach. You have to swallow a large and long cord, while your mouth is treated so that it doesn’t feel anything, but your throat still hurts. As soon as I remember, the gag reflex appears again. They say that there are some painless techniques, but I did it for free on referral in a regular hospital and the sensations were terrible. What’s interesting is that the first time gastroscopy showed that I had gastritis, but 2-3 years after proper nutrition it showed that I was healthy, I was really surprised.

photo: almazovcentre.ru

The third terrible procedure in my memory is MRI of the brain. But here, too, it may depend on the device. I did it twice: for the cerebral vessels (costs about 2 thousand rubles 3 years ago) and separately for the head. So, when they were making the vessels, it didn’t seem so scary, the apparatus crackled and that’s it. But today I had an MRI of the brain (thank you, it’s free, with a doctor’s referral). They put me in a huge apparatus, like a coffin. And then explosions began, as if a neighbor was drilling a wall with a hammer drill, but for some reason he was doing it with your head. The sounds were very strong and unpleasant, I had a headache, and after that I walked around as if in a fog, the condition was so disgusting. So you had to lie in the device for 15-20 minutes, which is quite a lot, it seems like an eternity, as if everyone had forgotten about you. The procedure is not at all pleasant, I would not have gone voluntarily, but then the doctors themselves directed it. I don't know the result yet.

Tell us, what terrible medical procedures have you undergone?

You never know what a trip to the doctor could turn out to be - simple
a recipe or procedure with a scary name. However, not everything is like that
terrible as it seems. We will try to explain a little what is wrong with you
will do if the following words appear in your direction...

• Gastroscopy

What is this? A small fiber optic camera is placed through a tube into your stomach through your esophagus.

When is it prescribed? For indigestion, hyperacidity and other digestive problems.

Does it hurt?
Rather unpleasant. Throughout the procedure you will feel
gagging, and increased salivation will also not add to the procedure
charms. Besides, the straw won't actually seem that big to you.
small when it ends up in your throat. Directly during
gastroscopy you will not feel pain (thanks to local anesthesia
spray), but after two or three hours you will feel irritation like
for a cold.

Why is it needed? After gastroscopy
yours will tell you almost everything that happens in your
stomach. Through the same tube, he will be able to take stomach tissue for analysis -
and will tell you even more.

• Barium enema

What is this?
A barium enema is given before x-rays of the lower intestine.
Once in the rectum, barium helps the radiologist identify deformities
and intestinal damage.

When is it prescribed? For intestinal bleeding and diarrhea.

Does it hurt?
No, but as with any enema, there is little pleasure. Moreover, after the
procedure, you will have to retain fluid in the intestines until
The doctor won't do an x-ray.

Why is it needed? An X-ray of the intestines can show both small, easily treatable cracks and cancerous tumors.

• Sigmoidoscopy (RRS)

What is this? A special tube with an “eye” at the end is inserted into the rectum for 3-5 minutes, during which the doctor examines the intestines.

When is it prescribed? For pain in the rectum, bleeding and stool disorders.

Does it hurt?
Extremely unpleasant. Before the procedure, the patient must wait about 5
enemas to cleanse the intestines. You can leave the sensations during RRS
no comments. Although children and patients with acute pain are treated with
local and general anesthesia.

Why is it needed? To figure out what's wrong with your gut.

• Brain biopsy

What is this? Using a special drill, a hole is made in the skull and a tiny piece of brain tissue is removed.

When is it prescribed? If a malignant tumor or infection is suspected.

Does it hurt? Surprisingly, no. The skull bones and brain do not feel pain, so the patient is not even given anesthesia.

Why is it needed?
If the biopsy shows a cancerous tumor, the doctor will be able to choose the most
effective for you. If you have an infection, a test will show what kind
exactly.

• Cardiac probing

What is this? A thin plastic tube is inserted into an artery in the groin or wrist and slowly pushed toward the heart.

When is it prescribed? For acute pain in the heart area or for suspected problems with the heart valve.

Does it hurt?
Certainly. But before the procedure, patients are usually given local
anesthesia and painkillers, so that discomfort is reduced to
minimum.

Why is it needed? As soon as the tube
introduced, a special liquid is passed through it, clearly visible under the rays
x-ray. This way the doctor can get a good look at your blood vessels and
judge their condition.

• Lumbar puncture

What is this?
Another name for this examination is lumbar puncture. Draw conclusions:
During a lumbar puncture, your doctor will make a puncture on your back in the area
lower back and leave the yoke until the cerebrospinal fluid
will begin to flow out of the needle itself. Having collected enough for analysis
quantity, the needle is removed.

When is it prescribed? For diagnosing meningitis, inflammation and brain cancer.

Does it hurt?
No, if you first receive a local anesthetic injection. If in
during the puncture, the doctor accidentally touches a nerve with the needle, you may experience
discomfort and leg cramps. In some patients the procedure
accompanied by prolonged migraines.

Why is it needed? To find out what exactly you are sick with and what antibiotics can treat it.

• Urethral smear

What is this? A small cotton swab is briefly inserted into the urethra (urethra).

When is it prescribed? If you feel a burning sensation or other discomfort when urinating.

Does it hurt?
Quite unpleasant for a healthy person and painful for a sick person.
The severity of the sensation depends on how advanced the infection is. But
You can completely tolerate it.

Why is it needed? Using a smear, your doctor will determine what infection you are suffering from and what antibiotic you need.

• Mammogram

What is this? X-ray of the mammary glands (in other words, breasts).

When is it prescribed?
For chest pain. But in general, doctors advise women, especially after
50, undergo examination every six months - to notice in time
malignant formations.

Does it hurt? A little. To obtain a clear image, the breast is compressed between two metal plates.

Why is it needed?
Most often - for prevention. In many countries, including
Russia, there are state programs for cancer prevention
breasts, and the first weapon of doctors in this case is a mammogram.

• Cystoscopy

What is this? A thin tube of a special cystoscope device is inserted into the urethra all the way to the bladder.

When is it prescribed? For problems with urination and kidney disease.

Does it hurt?
In most cases, yes. Although, it all depends on the condition
is the urethra located, is there inflammation or deformation, etc. However, even
In a healthy person, such a procedure can cause understandable
feeling of discomfort.

Why is it needed? To find out the condition of the bladder mucosa, if there are stones, find out their size and position.

• Cardioversion

What is this? Two powerful shocks of electricity are sent through your heart: the first stops it, and the second starts it again.

When is it prescribed?
For severe heart rhythm disturbances. That is, when your heart beats
not regularly, like a healthy person, but every other time, as he wants.

Does it hurt?
Since cardioversion is prescribed in extreme cases, as a rule
is in a state of lethargy or even half asleep and does not feel pain.
Cardioversion is much more dangerous for the performing doctors - they can also
“to kick the bucket”, but without therapeutic indications.

Why is it needed? To restore normal heart rhythm.

• Arthroscopy

What is this? A fiber optic camera is placed into the joint so the surgeon can see what's going on inside.

When is it prescribed? For persistent pain or serious knee injury.

Does it hurt?
In most cases, arthroscopy is performed under general anesthesia, much
less often (if the patient, for example, is allergic to the drug) - under local.
Then after the procedure the knee will ache for several more days.
Special elastic bandages will help cope with discomfort.

Why is it needed? To understand how damaged your joint is and how to treat it.

• Liver biopsy

What is this?
A needle and thin scalpel are inserted into the abdominal cavity, after which the surgeon
cuts off a small piece of liver tissue and takes it out.

When is it prescribed? For yellowing of the skin and eyeballs.

Does it hurt?
During the procedure - no, since a biopsy is performed under local
anesthesia. Unpleasant sensations will appear later, when the anesthesia begins
"to depart." The main thing is not to breathe when you are asked to do so, otherwise the needle and
the scalpel may go too deep into the liver.

Why is it needed?
To diagnose cirrhosis, hepatitis or inflammation. Less commonly, biopsy
helps detect traces of cancers originating in other
organs