This question was originally posted on Quora.com and was answered by Michael Cromer, BS Economics & Human Biology, Kent State University Surgeons are highly trained and can deal with almost any surgical situation that confronts them, making what appears to be a difficult situation look easy. Consider though, the difficulty experienced by the untrained person who may have to assist for example, in an emergent labor and delivery. Very stressful! But my vote for the most difficult surgery to perform would be an emergency cricothyrotomy, cutting the windpipe and inserting a tube, performed by an innocent bystander. This kind of acute emergency arises with an airway obstruction for example and the patient is unable to breathe. It’s been depicted on TV and movies, notably on the series MASH when Radar was talked through the procedure via radio. He made the incision through the skin and cricothyroid membrane to establish a patent airway using a pen. If anyone has ever done such a procedure it must have been very difficult! Source
