On July 17, news from Can Tho City General Hospital, doctors successfully treated a case of severe laryngeal shortness due to a rare complication of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Patient N.H. N (32 years old) came to Can Tho City General Hospital in a state of IIB grade laryngeal shortness of breath on the background of progressive pulmonary tuberculosis. Through examination and endoscopy results, the team of doctors recorded that the patient's laryngeal lumen was inflamed, edema, adhesion, and severely narrowed due to tuberculosis damage (the specialized endoscope could not pass through).
This fibrosis condition causes the airway to narrow to its maximum, directly threatening the patient's life.
Faced with the risk of the patient stopping breathing at any time, doctors of the Ear, Nose and Throat Department made a decision to perform emergency tracheostomy surgery (on-site anesthesia). The surgical team performed surgery in the anterior neck area (about 2cm from the sternal cavity) and successfully opened the airway in just 5 minutes.
Immediately after establishing a new airway, the amount of mucus accumulated deep inside the trachea was completely aspirated. The patient breathed well through a tracheostomy cannula and quickly passed the critical condition.
According to doctors, laryngeal stenosis due to tuberculosis injury is a rare clinical complication but extremely dangerous due to the silent progression of the fibrosis process.
Specialist doctors recommend that patients who are being treated for lung diseases (especially pulmonary tuberculosis) if symptoms of prolonged hoarseness, swallowing difficulty or gradually increasing shortness of breath appear, they should immediately go to specialized medical facilities for endoscopy to check, to avoid complications that cause dangerous airway stenosis.
