Common digestive diseases, if not treated thoroughly can be life-threatening

(Dan Tri) - Doctors warn that if not treated thoroughly, this disease can cause many dangerous complications such as cholangitis, acute pancreatitis, and even be life-threatening.

On July 2, a representative of Nam Saigon International General Hospital (HCMC) said that recently, this place has received treatment for a case of dangerous complications due to gallstones.

The patient was a 72-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital with dull pain in the epigastric region, nausea, and vomiting. She had previously been treated at a local medical facility but her symptoms did not improve.

Through examination and paraclinical tests, doctors at Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital determined that the patient had common bile duct stones and gallbladder stones. The patient was elderly and had many underlying diseases, so the risk of dangerous complications was very high.

The team of doctors from the General Surgery and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy departments coordinated to perform the ERCP technique (Photo: Hospital).

Faced with the above situation, the General Surgery team decided to intervene using ERCP technique - a modern endoscopic method that helps remove stones through the digestive tract without open surgery.

At the same time, the patient is simultaneously treated with laparoscopic cholecystectomy under the same anesthesia, helping to completely remove stones and prevent the risk of recurrence or complications.

The surgery lasted more than 2 hours and was successfully performed thanks to the close coordination between the General Surgery Department team and the digestive endoscopy team, including Dr. Nguyen Quoc Vinh, Master, Doctor, Specialist I Nguyen Vu Quang and Doctor, Specialist I Nguyen Van Be.

The entire treatment process is performed by endoscopic method, minimizing invasiveness, helping patients reduce post-operative pain. After treatment, the patient recovers well, eats normally and is discharged from the hospital just 1 day after surgery.

Patients are treated for multiple problems in just one intervention (Photo: Hospital).

According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Vinh, gallstones are a common digestive disease, often found in the elderly, especially those with many underlying diseases. If not treated thoroughly, gallstones can cause many dangerous complications such as acute cholecystitis, cholangitis, acute pancreatitis, and even be life-threatening.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a modern endoscopic technique that allows doctors to access the biliary system through the digestive tract to remove stones. This is a particularly effective solution in cases of common bile duct stones and recurrent stones.

Dr. Nguyen Van Be added that to perform ERCP successfully, the doctor must insert the endoscope through the duodenum, accurately locating the entrance to the bile duct through the Vater papilla. Accessing, locating the stone and safely removing the stone is a complicated process, requiring high technique and a lot of experience to limit complications.

The patient recovered healthily just 1 day after surgery (Photo: Hospital).

The combination of ERCP and cholecystectomy in the same session is a new technique implemented at Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital. The great advantage is that the patient only needs to be anesthetized once, avoiding the risks of two separate surgeries, while shortening the treatment time and significantly reducing costs.

Accordingly, the patient only has 3 incisions a few millimeters long, so there is very little pain after surgery and a quick recovery. After only 24 hours, the patient can eat normally and is discharged the next day.

The successful implementation of the above technique at Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital marks a new step forward in the treatment of gallstones. The hospital will continue to expand this technique to apply to complex gallstone cases, especially in the elderly, those with underlying diseases, or those who are not healthy enough to undergo two separate surgeries.

Outstanding benefits of the combined technique of ERCP and laparoscopic cholecystectomy:

- Completely remove both common bile duct stones and gallbladder stones.

- Avoid repeated anesthesia.

- Reduces the risk of infection and bleeding.

- Limit damage to healthy tissue.

- Shorten hospital stay.

- Save treatment costs.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/can-benh-duong-tieu-hoa-pho-bien-khong-tri-triet-de-de-nguy-hiem-tinh-mang-20250702151845252.htm