Former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy reluctantly pushed appendicitis treatment forward by insisting on being treated with antibiotics instead of surgery, which was rare at the time.
On April 21, 1994, Patrick Roy begged the team’s doctors to treat him with antibiotics, because surgery would keep him out of the game. Defending Stanley Cup champion, the Canadian faced his old rivals in the playoffs. , the Boston Bruins, and every game matters.
The Drs David Mulder and Doug Kennear accept star player request; and Roy returns to the rink two days later, allowing his team to win back-to-back games.
“Today, we often treat appendicitis with antibiotics, but at the time, this story triggered a wave of reprobation in the medical world”, comments the DD Liane Feldman, professor in the department of surgery at McGill University.
A common treatment
With her colleague Lawrence Lee, she signs in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) an article on the alternative to surgery, which today is part of routine treatment. The team doctors “may have been ahead of their time,” they write.
Vice-president of the Federation of Medical Specialists of Quebec, Dr.r Serge Legault remembers well this story which had made the front page of all the newspapers. “At the time, it was very rare to treat appendicitis with antibiotics,” he concedes.
“An interesting option”
Himself a surgeon at the Cité de la santé in Laval, Dr.r Legault performs the removal of the appendix almost daily in cases of infection. But he always offers the patient the pharmaceutical solution.
“I would say that in 10% of cases, [le traitement par antibiotiques] is not indicated, because the appendicitis is too severe and it is necessary to act quickly to avoid complications. But in the vast majority of cases, antibiotic therapy is an attractive option. »
leave the choice
As the authors of the JAMA article mention, it is up to the patient to choose the treatment that is best for them.
“Surgery remains the most appropriate intervention, because there are up to 50% of recurrences when antibiotics are chosen. But the final decision rests with the patient,” argues Dr.D Feldmann.
By promoting this treatment, Patrick Roy paved the way for the non-surgical approach.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough, as the Canadian was knocked out in seven games by opponents Massachusetts.