Colo. Dr. Bill Pfeifer, a surgeon at Swedish, said that Shemenski wants to have his surgery at the hospital. However, the hospital's media relations representative said that she had no information on Shemenski's plans. Weather makes any flights to the station extremely hazardous from late February until November. The rescue journey began Saturday, when the Twin Otter plane, which had arrived from Canada, took off from Punta Arenas for the Rothera base en route to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. After reaching the Pole on Tuesday, the plane remained overnight in subfreezing temperatures on an icy runway and then made a more than eight-hour return flight Wednesday night to a safe landing at Rothera.
Pancreatitis can happen when a gallstone passes down the bile duct, irritating the pancreas.
After arriving in Punta Arenas, Shemenski is expected to get a medical checkup, remain overnight, and later take a commercial flight to the United States. There, he is to expected to undergo exhaustive medical treatment in Colorado. Rescue officials said Shemenski was in stable condition and walking by himself. By Wednesday, when he was brought to Rothera, Shemenski's family was expressing relief. They still have a long way to go.