On April 29, Vinh Long General Hospital said that it had just successfully performed emergency surgery for a case of horsetail cluster syndrome due to spinal injury after falling from scaffolding while working.
Patient T.H. H (39 years old, Long Ho commune) was admitted to the hospital in a state of severe back pain, pain spreading down to the left groin area, limited movement, accompanied by numbness in the buttocks and progressive weakness in both lower limbs. Notably, the patient also developed urinary disorders, warning signs of severe nerve damage.
Through examination, doctors recorded that the muscle strength of both legs decreased to 1-2/5, suspecting damage to the lumbar spine - column region. MRI results showed a collapse of the L1 vertebra, a dislocated broken fragment heavily compressing the spinal canal. If not treated promptly, the patient is at high risk of permanent paralysis.
Faced with the emergency situation, the team of the Department of Neurosurgery coordinated with specialized departments to quickly convene and indicate surgery to remove the spinal cord compression. During the surgery, doctors recorded a broken bone fragment directly compressing the spinal cord membrane, proceeded to remove it and restore the anatomical structure to preserve motor function.
MSc. Dr. Tram Quoc Thuan - Department of Neurosurgery - shared: "Horsetail syndrome is a neurological emergency that needs to be diagnosed early and intervened in time. If treatment is delayed, patients may face the risk of paralysis of both legs, prolonged urinary disorders and reduced quality of life. In this case, timely surgery has made an important contribution to the patient's recovery process.
After surgery, the patient is awake, vital signs are stable, muscle strength of both lower limbs improved to 4/5, can sit up and practice walking with support. It is expected that the patient will be discharged after about a week and continue to recover function.
The hospital recommends that workers, especially in the construction sector, strictly comply with safety regulations and use sufficient protective equipment to limit unfortunate accidents.
