rare accident on Mid-Autumn Festival night
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, a male student was unfortunately stabbed by a 3-meter long iron bar from the head and face to the neck while going out with friends. The iron bar is stuck tightly through the face - where many important blood vessels and nerves are concentrated, just a few kilometers away can cause immediate loss of vision.
Immediately after the accident, the victim was taken to a provincial hospital in Nghe An. Doctors here promptly cut the iron bar, fixed the foreign object, and temporarily stopped the bleeding, creating safe conditions for referral. However, transportation was extremely difficult because the iron bar was crossing the head and neck, making it impossible for the patient to lie up straight or upside down for more than 300 km to Hanoi.
Overnight surgery is suffocating
When admitted to the emergency room of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, the iron bar about 50cm long was still stuck all over the face. The catage results showed a foreign object moving from the nose to the hard arch, the right jaw bone, the neckline and then through the back of the neck - an extremely dangerous path, which can damage large blood vessels, leading to massive bleeding or permanent facial paralysis.
That same night, the hospital activated the internal red alert, mobilizing many specialties to coordinate. After consultation, the doctors agreed to perform emergency surgery to remove the foreign object through the face - neck area.
Because the iron bar was stuck in the middle of the mouth, causing a broken jaw bone and a lot of bleeding, the Ham Mat - Thoa crew opened the trachea to control the airways, creating anesthesia conditions. Meanwhile, the Cardiovascular team exposed and controled the right incision, and provided synchronous support for the surgeon group to remove the foreign object and treat the wound.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha - Head of the Department of maxillofacial - Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery shared: "Iron tea when drawing must be done very carefully, every muscle level, after completely controlling facial and dynamic damage. The air in the operating room is as tight as a necklace, just a small deviation can cause a large blood vessel rupture or damage to facial nerve. The goal is not only to save lives but also to preserve the structure and function of the facial area where many important nerves and sensory organs are concentrated.
After more than an hour of emergency surgery, the iron bar was safely removed. The facial injuries were fixed and thoroughly treated, helping the patient overcome the critical situation in a tricky manner.
The patient is currently conscious, the wound is dry, progressive and is being treated at the Department of maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery. Doctors said this was an "extremely lucky" case, because if the iron bar was a few kilometers off, the consequences would be extremely serious.
MSc. Dr. To Tuan Linh - a member of the surgical team recommended: "When you have an accident with a foreign object stuck through your neck and face, absolutely do not arbitrarily remove the foreign object at the scene. It is necessary to temporarily stabilize and quickly take the victim to a medical facility with enough specialized expertise in anesthesia, resuscitation and surgery".
This rare case shows the effectiveness of the model of coordination between provincial and central health care in severe and multidisciplinary emergency care. At the provincial level, doctors have handled the initial treatment accurately, ensuring maximum safety when transporting patients to Hanoi - creating a "life-death buffer" for emergency care.
