Saving the life of a male student who was stabbed in the head by a 3 meter long iron bar, from the face to the nape of the neck

While hanging out with friends, a 16-year-old male student in Nghe An was stabbed by a 3-meter long iron bar that penetrated his head, face, and neck. The iron bar was stuck firmly through his face.

Doctors at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital performed surgery to remove an iron bar that had pierced through the head of a 16-year-old male student - Photo: BVCC

On October 22, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital ( Hanoi ) announced that it had successfully treated a male student who was seriously stabbed in the head by an iron bar.

The accident happened on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Nghe An province. Immediately after the accident, the male student was taken to the provincial hospital for emergency treatment. Here, doctors promptly cut short the 3-meter long iron bar that had pierced his head, fixed the foreign object, temporarily stopped the bleeding, and created safe conditions for transfer.

However, transporting the patient was extremely difficult because the foreign object had penetrated the patient's head and neck, making it impossible for the patient to lie flat or tilt his head back during the entire 300km journey to Hanoi to avoid bleeding or further injury.

When admitted to the emergency room of Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, the iron bar, about 50cm long, was still stuck in his face. CT scan images showed that the foreign object went from the tip of the nose through the hard palate, the alveolar bone of the right jaw, the base of the neck, and then through the back of the neck. The path of the foreign object was extremely dangerous, it could damage large blood vessels, causing massive bleeding or permanent facial paralysis.

The patient was transferred directly to the emergency operating room, the hospital activated the internal red alert, mobilizing many specialists to participate in the consultation.

After consultation, the doctors agreed to perform emergency surgery to remove the foreign object penetrating the face and neck area. Because the foreign object penetrated the face, lodged in the mouth, causing the jawbone to shatter and bleeding profusely, the doctors coordinated to remove the foreign object and treat the patient's facial wound.

Doctor Nguyen Hong Ha, head of the hospital's maxillofacial surgery, plastic and cosmetic surgery department, said that the iron bar must be carefully removed, millimeter by millimeter, after the patient's facial injuries and hemodynamics have been completely controlled.

"Just a small deviation can cause a large blood vessel to rupture or damage the patient's facial nerve.

Doctors not only ensure safe removal of foreign objects, saving the patient's life, but also preserve maximum anatomical structure and facial function.

Thanks to that, the patient not only escaped "death's door" but also had the opportunity to almost completely recover facial aesthetics and motor function," Dr. Ha informed.

After more than an hour of surgery, the iron bar was safely removed, the jaw and facial injuries were fixed by doctors and the wounds were thoroughly treated, the patient's face was preserved and he narrowly overcame the critical situation.

The male student is now conscious, the wound is dry, and progressing positively. Doctors said this was an "extremely lucky" case, because if the iron bar had been off by just a few centimeters, the consequences would have been extremely unpredictable.

Doctor To Tuan Linh, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery - Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery of the hospital, recommends that in case of an accident where a foreign object penetrates the neck and face area, it is absolutely forbidden to remove the foreign object at the scene without sufficient professional qualifications and supporting facilities.

At the same time, it is necessary to temporarily immobilize the foreign object and take the victim immediately to a medical facility with full expertise in the fields of anesthesia, resuscitation, and surgery.

WILLOW

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cuu-song-nam-sinh-bi-thanh-sat-dai-3-met-dam-xuyen-vung-dau-tu-mat-qua-gay-20251022090119715.htm