Ms. M.Y, 45 years old, had a serious traffic accident that caused her leg to be severed across her thigh, and her limbs almost left her body.
After emergency hemostasis at the local hospital, the patient was transferred to Minh Anh International Hospital in a condition where the entire blood vessel and nerve system had been completely severed, and the surrounding muscle tissues were seriously crushed. More worryingly, muscle necrosis had begun to directly threaten the patient's life. However, the total time from the accident to the time of arrival at the specialized hospital was about 9 hours.
BSCKI Truong Van Tai, Minh Anh International Hospital, said that upon admission, the blood vessels and nerves of the limb were completely severed, the muscles were crushed and began to become necrotic.
If not treated promptly, dead muscle tissues can release toxins into the blood, causing kidney damage, acute kidney failure and threatening life," Dr. Tai said.
Doctors were forced to perform surgery to amputate the crushed leg to preserve her life. Currently, the patient's health is stable and is expected to be supported with prosthetic leg assembly after the wound heals.
According to Dr. Tai, in cases of limb amputation, time is the decisive factor for the possibility of reattachment. "Golden hour" is usually in the first 3 hours. If the limb is properly preserved, the time can be longer, depending on the location and severity of the injury.
When an accident occurs, priority should be given to stopping the bleeding for the victim and quickly taking them to a medical facility with microsurgery and limb reattachment capabilities.
The severed limb should be wrapped in a clean, sealed bag, then put this bag in another bag or container with ice to cool it down. Do not place the limb directly on ice or soak it in water, as it can cause tissue damage.
People need to take both the victim and the severed limb to the hospital as soon as possible. Proper first aid and shortening transportation time can determine the opportunity to preserve the limb after an accident.
