Ten-day-old Pham Nguyen Thuy Quyen is in stable condition after being operated for gangrene of the bowel at the Paediatrics Hospital in the southern Dong Nai province.
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| A doctor checks Pham Nguyen Thuy Quyen's health after the surgery. |
Ten-day-old Pham Nguyen Thuy Quyen is in stable condition after being operated for gangrene of the bowel at the Paediatrics Hospital in the southern Dong Nai province.
Doctor Vu Cong Tam, head of the surgery-anaesthetic-recuperation ward of the hospital, said Quyen, born on March 23, was hospitalised two hours after her birth with symptoms of bloated stomach, high temperature and vomiting.
An examination showed that her small intestine was twisted and purple in colour.
"If we didn't cut off all of her gangrenous small intestine, the toxins would spread, causing her to go into shock. And if we cut off all of the small intestine, she cannot live more," Tam said.
After discussions, the doctors decided to untie the twisted intestine, heat it and then place it back inside her belly.
A day later, an examination showed that the condition of only a 10cm section of the intestine was improving. The doctors then had to cut off nearly 2m of the small intestine and retain only 10cm of it.
Tam said it was the first time the hospital operated on a patient with gangrene of the bowel.
Quyen is stable now, but will need a bowel transplant to have a healthy life later.
No hospital in Viet Nam can conduct a bowel transplant at present, Tam said.
(Source: VNS)
