On February 6, Vietnam - Cuba Dong Hoi Friendship Hospital (Quang Tri province) said that doctors had just successfully performed endoscopic surgery in a rare case of twisted spleen for a 40-month-old patient.
Previously, baby girl N.T. N (40 months old, residing in Hoan Lao commune, Quang Tri province) was transferred from a lower level hospital in a state of severe abdominal pain, accompanied by nausea. According to the family, abdominal pain symptoms appeared continuously for about two days before being hospitalized.
Through examination and necessary tests, doctors discovered that the patient's spleen was abnormally large, located in the wrong anatomical position and not irrigated. The entire spleen fell into a state of oxygen and nutrient deficiency due to the spleen artery being blocked, leading to bleeding and spleen tissue necrosis.
According to BS CKII Hoang Minh Hung, Department of General Surgery, immediately after determining the condition of the disease, the hospital organized a remote consultation with specialists from Viet Duc Hospital, National Children's Hospital and Children's Hospital 2. Based on professional consensus, the doctors decided to perform laparoscopic splenectomy surgery for the patient.
The surgery lasted about two hours, was performed entirely by endoscopy, only a small incision was needed to remove the spleen. According to the doctor, this method helps to limit invasion, reduce the risk of intestinal adhesions later and ensure aesthetics, which is especially important for young children. If open surgery is performed, the incision will be longer and contain many potential complications.
After surgery, the patient was monitored and treated actively. After five days, his health condition stabilized and he was indicated for discharge.
BS CKII Hoang Minh Hung added that splenic torsion in children is a rare but very dangerous medical emergency condition. The cause is often that the ligaments holding the spleen are loose or lacking, causing the spleen to move freely in the abdominal cavity and may self-tort around the blood vessel stem, causing ischemia and necrosis.
Doctors recommend that when children have signs of prolonged abdominal pain, vomiting or abnormal manifestations, parents should quickly take their children to a medical facility for examination and timely treatment, avoiding the risk of serious impact on health and life.
