Doctors race against time to save a 130kg patient whose tongue was severed.

TPO - An obese young man was hospitalized with multiple serious injuries, including a nearly severed tongue, after a traffic accident. Doctors said that treating the injuries, performing surgery, and recovering from an accident in this case is even more difficult.

On May 24th, Xuyen A General Hospital announced that doctors had successfully performed surgery on LQD (24 years old, residing in Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City), a young man who suffered multiple severe injuries after a traffic accident.

According to the medical history, the young man was involved in an accident while riding his motorbike on Nguyen Thi Lang Street (Cu Chi Commune, Ho Chi Minh City). The victim was admitted to the emergency room in critical condition with multiple serious injuries.

A multidisciplinary team of doctors performed surgery to save an obese young man who was seriously injured in an accident.

The whole-body CT scan revealed that the patient had a torn patellar tendon, penetrating knee joint damage, elbow dislocation, clavicle fracture, maxillofacial fracture, and notably, a severed tongue.

According to the doctors, this was a case of severe multiple injuries, simultaneously affecting the patient's mobility, ability to eat and chew, and communication. However, what made the case particularly difficult was the patient's weight of 130 kg.

Following a multidisciplinary consultation, a team comprising orthopedic, anesthesiology, and maxillofacial surgeons was mobilized for emergency surgery.

For many continuous hours, the doctors treated a series of complex injuries for the patient. The team performed patellar tendon repair, treated knee joint injuries, realigned dislocated elbows, and immobilized them with casts to preserve mobility.

In addition, the patient underwent surgery to fix the fractured clavicle and treat injuries to the maxillofacial and oral cavity, including a microsurgical procedure to preserve the severed portion of the tongue.

Dr. Nguyen Duy Toan, a specialist in Orthopedics and Traumatology at Xuyen A General Hospital, stated that surgery on obese patients always carries more risks than on normal-sized patients.

The patient's health is recovering well after the surgery.

"The thick layer of fatty tissue makes accessing the lesion more difficult, prolonging the surgery time and increasing the risk of postoperative infection," said Dr. Toan.

According to this expert, obesity is often associated with respiratory, cardiovascular, or metabolic disorders, making the anesthesia and resuscitation process much more complicated.

"These patients have a higher-than-normal risk of anesthesia-related complications, so the team has to prepare very carefully, from assessing their overall condition and controlling respiration to selecting equipment suitable for their physical condition," the doctor shared.

Doctors said that simply intubating and controlling respiration for a 130kg patient was a major challenge in the operating room. Thanks to the seamless coordination between multiple specialties, the surgery was successful. After 4 days of treatment, the young man was able to move his arms and legs, practice walking with a support frame, and eat normally.

According to experts, obesity not only increases the risk of chronic diseases but also makes treatment of injuries, surgery, and recovery more difficult in the event of an accident.

Based on the above case, doctors advise people to maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, and adhere to traffic safety regulations to reduce the risk of serious injuries and dangerous complications during treatment.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/bac-si-chay-dua-cuu-benh-nhan-nang-130kg-bi-dut-luoi-post1845882.tpo