A 23-day-old H’Mong boy with congenital duodenal obstruction was miraculously saved life

19/07/2021 13:57

Cuddled in her mother’s breast and enjoyed in sucking cool milk, MUA A N., a less-than-one-month-old baby, has just undergone an operation for his congenital duodenal obstruction in Viet Duc University Hospital.

 

Being the second boy of Ms. LAU Thi A. 19 year-old, H’Mong ethnic group, when he was 9 day-old, MUA A N. had to be hospitalized at a district hospital because of his persistent vomiting and no defecating since birth. He was treated there for 7 days, however, no improvement of his health condition so his family decided to take him back home. At home, he continued to vomit and became so weak. Advised by the villagers, his family determined to bring him to Hanoi. He was admitted to Viet Duc University Hospital in one day extremely hot as roasting.

 

 

Dr. HONG Quy Quan – Deputy Head of Neonatal and Pediatric Surgery Department, Viet Duc University Hospital shared that regardless of the complicated Covid-19 pandemic, but with seriously performance of the screening work in the hospital, the pediatric patient was quickly brought to Neonatal and Pediatric Surgery Department. Through the clinical examination and para-clinical tests, the pediatric patient was diagnosed with congenital duodenal obstruction associated with an uncompleted rotation of small bowel. Dr. HONG Quy Quan told that congenital duodenal obstruction is a rare neonatal emergency requiring early diagnosis and timely treatment, otherwise, the immense vomiting of pediatric patient might lead to life-threatening dehydration and electrolyte disorders.

 

In Neonatal and Pediatric Surgery Department, Viet Duc University Hospital, doctors performed about 20 – 30 operations of congenital duodenal obstruction each year but there has never been as case of such late arrival like this. So MUA A N was indicated for an operation on emergency as soon as he was diagnosed. During laparotomy, surgeons found the cause of obstruction was a congenital Ladd ligament blocking the duodenum associating with the uncompleted rotation of small bowel. The operation lasted more than one hour. Surgeons resected the Ladd ligament and removed the obstruction, re-organized the small intestine. 

 

On 2^nd  day after operation, the pediatric patient started to suck milk, no longer vomited, yellow stools.  Confiding with not-fluent King language but from his mother’s eyes, there was a thankful appreciation to medical staff who brought her son back from death.