The 38-year-old male patient was taken to Minh Anh International Hospital for emergency treatment in critical condition after being stabbed with a sharp knife in the neck area. MRI and CT scan results showed that the knife handle was broken, leaving a blade longer than 10cm deeply in the cervical vertebrae C1-C2, close to the skull base. The wound had cut off part of the left spinal cord, damaging the vertebral artery, causing mild cerebral hemorrhage and a lot of gas in the brain.
At the time of admission, the patient was paralyzed in the left half of his body and had a high fever. Recognizing this as a particularly dangerous case, doctors indicated emergency surgery to save the patient's life.
According to the treatment team, the blade penetrated from behind the neck to the anterior jaw area. Fortunately, the tip of the knife was blocked by the jaw, otherwise it could have completely penetrated the front of the neck, directly threatening the patient's life.
BS.CKII Do Van Long - Deputy Medical Director of Minh Anh International Hospital said that the major surgery lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes with the most stressful moment being removing the knife blade from the patient's neck.
“With the support of modern microsurgery glasses, we proceeded to dissect the surgical field, using a high-speed milling system to grind and cut bones, clearly revealing the spinal cord, hard membrane and large blood vessels. After successfully controlling the small damaged blood vessels, the team proceeded to remove the blade according to the prepared scenario. As soon as the blade was removed, blood flowed out but was controlled by specialized hemostasis material. The damage to the spinal cord and hard membrane was then patched with biological material,” Dr. Long said.
Currently, the patient is awake and can move limbs. However, because the left spinal cord has been severely damaged before, the paralysis of the left half of the body is still present.
Doctors said that although the surgery was technically successful, the post-operative treatment process will still be long and complicated. In the near future, patients will be closely monitored for the risk of infection, post-operative bleeding, use drugs to limit myeloedema and apply active physical therapy protocols to maximize the ability to restore motor function.
