Einstein Docs Talk About Performing an Amputation — Under a Train

Two Philly doctors are talking about how they amputated a man’s foot while he was pinned to railroad tracks by the train that struck him in Northeast Philly. The incident took place early Wednesday.

We reported the incident Wednesday, but 6ABC got an interview with the doctors who performed the procedure.

“It was the smallest work environment I’ve ever had to work in, the harshest conditions I’ve ever worked in, and it was definitely above 100 degrees under the train,” Dr. Megan Stobart-Gallagher said.

It was no picnic for the 46-year-old man, who was conscious but heavily sedated while the doctors removed his foot so he could be removed from the tracks. The surgery took just 10 minutes.

Stobart-Gallagher and her partner in the operation, Dr. Melissa Kohn are part of an emergency response team at Einstein Hospital designed to handle extraordinary field situations — though the pair admitted Wednesday morning’s surgery was unusual even for them.

“You want to make sure that the patient is going to make it through this,” Kohn said. “You’re there to help patients.”