Rare accident
Patient B.T. D (25 years old, residing in Phu Tho), was admitted to Viet Duc Friendship Hospital for emergency treatment with severe eye injury, 2 chopsticks 7-10 cm long stabbed deep into both eyes, one foreign object only revealed a very short head, while the other was completely deep in the eye socket.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha - Head of the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital - assessed: this is a particularly serious emergency case, because the injury not only threatens vision but also potentially affects important structures in the head, face, and neck area, even threatens life if handled incorrectly.
Faced with the complicated situation of the case, the emergency team conducted a thorough clinical examination, and at the same time mobilized modern paraclinical facilities such as emergency multi-slice CT scans, 3D blood vessel and nerve imaging to accurately determine the location and path of the foreign object.
MSc.BS Nguyen Thi Huong Giang - Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital said that the foreign object is located very deep under the floor of the eye socket, close to the left eyeball and penetrating to the back, stopping right near the large carotid arteries - important blood vessels supplying blood to the head, face, and neck.
According to Dr. Giang, just about 1mm more deviation, the consequences can be very serious. After consulting world medical literature, the treatment team has not recorded any reports describing a similar case, when both eyes of the same patient were stuck with a chopstick-shaped foreign object more than half the length.
Consultation of many specialties, stressful surgery in 2 hours
Due to the dangerous nature of the injury, the emergency on-duty team mobilized many specialties to participate in the consultation, including Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Cardiovascular Surgery - Thoracic Surgery, Diagnostic Imaging and Anesthesia and Resuscitation.
After comprehensive assessment and clear identification of the path of the foreign object in both eyes, doctors agreed on an emergency surgery plan to remove the foreign object.
Throughout the 2 hours of surgery, the operating room atmosphere was always in a state of high tension. The foreign object was removed very carefully, little by little, to avoid the risk of further damage to important structures around the eye socket.
Doctors not only set a goal to safely remove the foreign object and preserve the patient's life, but also made maximum efforts to maintain the anatomical structure and visual function. Thanks to that, the patient has overcome the critical condition, and has the opportunity to recover well in both aesthetics and vision function.
Currently, the patient is awake, the wound is dry, the postoperative progression is positive and is continuing to be monitored and treated at the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha recommends that in cases of head, face, and neck injuries suspected of still having foreign objects, especially related to the eyes, skull or large blood vessels, patients should be immediately transferred to specialized medical facilities as soon as possible.
According to experts, proper examination, diagnosis by modern means and multi-specialized consultation play a decisive role in saving patients as well as maximizing the function of damaged organs.
