> At a Glance
> – Isa Briones went from playing Dr. Trinity Santos on The Pitt to an emergency appendectomy patient while filming season 2
> – The 26-year-old spent all day in scrubs before stomach pain sent her to the ER, where a doctor recognized her from the show
> – She shared her hospital photo on Nov. 4, 2025, with an “Appendix R.I.P.” plush toy
> – Why it matters: A real-life medical drama collided with her TV role, showing how life can imitate art in the most unexpected ways
A day on The Pitt set turned into an unscripted medical emergency for Isa Briones, who swapped her doctor’s coat for a hospital gown within hours.
On-Set Stomach Ache
After filming in scrubs all day, Briones felt pain she blamed on the burger bar or “bad gas.” When it intensified, she drove to the ER-still half in character and half in agony.
Doctors quickly diagnosed appendicitis and scheduled emergency surgery. One physician, typing notes, glanced up and asked, “The Pitt, right?” Briones told Entertainment Tonight:

> “They knew [who I was], they took great care of me.”
From Provider to Patient
Wheeled into the same hospital corridors she acts in on TV, Briones couldn’t turn off her newfound medical knowledge.
> “It was weird, to be in the gurney and reading my vitals and like, ‘I know what that means! And yeah, I’m good! Everything’s fine.'”
The Pitt follows a single 15-hour shift in a Pittsburgh ER; Briones compressed her own crisis into one surreal night.
Key Takeaways
- Isa Briones underwent an emergency appendectomy during season 2 production
- An ER physician recognized her from the HBO drama while treating her
- She documented the Nov. 2025 surgery on Instagram with a playful “Appendix R.I.P.” toy
- The experience blurred her on-screen training with real-life patient anxiety
Briones is now back on set, healed and ready for viewers to watch season 2-and to remember the night life copied art.

