At Vinh Long General Hospital, a team of doctors just successfully performed endoscopic surgery for patient N.T.N who also had large gastrointestinal stromal tissue tumor (GIST) and colon cancer, a rare and complex case in diagnosis and treatment.
The patient said that about 2 months before being hospitalized, the patient had prolonged digestive disorders, small, flat stools, mucus, rapid weight loss despite no changes in daily life, accompanied by a faint pain in the lower abdomen, and symptoms became increasingly severe.
At the General Surgery Department, the patient underwent careful clinical examination and was prescribed in-depth paraclinical examinations. The results of colonoscopy recorded tumor damage, causing intestinal stenosis, suspected malignancy.
At the same time, the abdominal CT-scan results discovered another specific tumor in the lower abdomen, about 10x10cm in size, originating from the small intestine, suggestive image of gastrointestinal tissue fistula (GIST), increasing the complexity of the case.
The simultaneous detection of two tumors at 2 different anatomical locations, with different pathological natures, poses a major challenge in diagnosis and selection of safe and effective treatment options for patients.
Faced with the complexity, the hospital organized a multidisciplinary consultation with the participation of General Surgery, Endoscopy, Anesthesiology and Resuscitation, and IMAGING Diagnosis, in order to comprehensively assess and unify the optimal treatment strategy.
After consultation, the team agreed to diagnose colon cancer with suspected GIST small intestine tumor and decided to perform simultaneous surgical removal of the two tumors by endoscopic method, prioritizing minimizing invasion and reducing the risk of complications.
The surgery lasted 180 minutes, 2 tumors were completely removed, not switched to open surgery, ensuring the principles of oncology, not breaking the tumor sac, the amount of blood lost was about 100ml, and the surgery process took place safely.
After surgery, the patient recovered favorably. After 48 hours, the patient could eat porridge, walk gently, and no early complications were recorded. After 7 days of monitoring, his health stabilized and he was eligible for discharge.
