The National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital has just successfully performed surgery to remove a foreign object, a iron pellet deep in the moth's sinus, for a 6-year-old child in Nghia Lo (Lao Cai), helping the child avoid the risk of vision loss and many serious complications.
According to MSc.BSNT Bien Van Hoan, Department of Pediatric Otorrinolaryngology, Central Otorrinolaryngology Hospital, the patient was transferred from a lower level with a diagnosis of nasal sinus foreign object after an accident while playing with his older brother. The family said that while playing, the older brother used a rubber gun to shoot an iron bullet that hit his right eye.
Immediately after receiving the patient, the doctors conducted an examination and prescribed a computed tomography. The results made the treatment team worried when they discovered that the ball did not stop in the eye socket but had penetrated deep into the moth's sinus - a particularly dangerous anatomical location deep in the skull base.
The moth sinus is located close to many important structures such as the optic nerve, internal carotid artery and skull base. According to doctors, just a few millimeters further deviating the path of the foreign object, children may face the risk of permanent vision loss, severe bleeding or life-threatening intracranial complications.
Faced with this complicated situation, doctors urgently consulted with the Ophthalmology department to assess eyeball lesions, and at the same time consulted professionally and decided to perform nasal sinus endoscopy surgery to remove the foreign object.
This is a modern technique that allows access to lesions through the natural nasal passage, helping surgeons clearly observe deep anatomical structures and operate accurately, minimizing damage to adjacent organs.
During the surgery, the team successfully accessed the moth sinus and removed the iron ball with a diameter of about 0.5 cm, while safely preserving the important surrounding structures. After surgery, the patient recovered well, his health stabilized and continued to be monitored.
According to doctors, nasal and sinus endoscopic surgery to remove deep foreign objects is a technique that is routinely implemented at the Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, bringing high treatment efficiency, reducing the risk of complications, limiting sequelae and shortening hospital stay for patients.
From this case, experts warn parents not to be subjective with toys that can shoot objects at high speed such as rubber guns, BB guns. Seemingly simple accidents can cause serious damage to the eyes, skull or other important organs.
Doctors recommend that parents should limit children from using toys with strong shooting power, always monitor children during play and take children to medical facilities immediately when injuries occur for examination and timely treatment.
