Timely rescue of 7-year-old child's arm with severed artery using difficult technique

DNVN - Falling from a nearly 2-meter high wall, a 7-year-old boy suffered a severed left brachial artery, leaving almost no blood supply to his lower arm. The medical team at Gia Dinh General Hospital (Da Nang) promptly performed a difficult surgery to save the boy's arm.

According to the father of H.D.D (7 years old, Da Nang), during recess, he climbed a nearly 2m high wall, slipped and fell, causing a sharp iron stake to pierce the inside of his left arm. Although he was panicked, he pressed himself against the bleeding wound and called for help from adults. He was given first aid by the school's medical staff and bandaged, and was urgently transferred to Gia Dinh General Hospital.

Family Hospital medical team performed surgery to reconnect the saphenous vein from the leg to save the child's arm.

MSc. Dr. Vo Hoai Bao - Thoracic - Vascular Surgery specialist, Gia Dinh General Hospital said that although the external wound was quite small and had stopped bleeding thanks to the compression bandage, the patient's left arm was cold, pale, and had no radial pulse. This was a clear sign of acute ischemia of the left arm.

Doppler ultrasound results showed that the blood flow downstream of D’s arm was almost gone, suggesting a ruptured brachial artery. The patient was at risk of arm gangrene and was scheduled for emergency surgery within the “golden time” of 6 hours to save the arm.

MSc. Dr. Vo Hoai Bao examined child H.D.D after 7 days of intervention.

When the wound was opened, the doctor discovered that the child’s brachial artery was crushed for a length of 6cm, the brachial vein was torn and important nerves were bruised. With such a long injury, direct arterial reattachment was impossible.

Dr. Vo Hoai Bao and the surgical team decided to use a large saphenous vein in the leg as a graft, connecting it to the two ends of the severed artery, re-establishing blood flow to the limb. This is a difficult technique, especially in children, where the blood vessels are very small, and the risk of narrowing the anastomosis and post-operative thrombosis is very high, requiring meticulous and precise manipulation.

In addition, the endotracheal anesthesia time was prolonged throughout the surgery, and the patient had just been infected with influenza A, leading to increased phlegm secretion, inflammation, and acute laryngeal edema, which was also a challenge for the postoperative recovery process. This required doctors to closely monitor and actively coordinate treatment to avoid the risk of prolonged mechanical ventilation, which would aggravate the condition.

D. is healthy and has been discharged from the hospital.

After nearly a day of surgery, the pulse signal in D's arm gradually recovered. The arm gradually warmed up, the skin became rosy again, and the pulse in the lower limb was clearly visible, a sign that blood flow had been restored. The child continued to receive intensive care, close monitoring, anti-thrombotic drugs, and early physical therapy. Each day, D's left arm moved better, and feeling gradually returned. After 10 days of treatment, the child was discharged from the hospital to the joy of his family and the medical team.

MSc. Dr. Vo Hoai Bao shared that peripheral artery injuries in children are extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of pediatric trauma cases. However, this is a dangerous condition that can cause acute blood loss or limb necrosis if not treated promptly. Surgery to restore blood circulation during the golden period is a decisive factor in preserving the limb and motor function of the child.

In addition, parents should also instruct children on how to temporarily handle injuries and quickly call for adult help to limit unfortunate incidents from happening.

Hai Chau

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/tin-tuc/kip-thoi-cuu-canh-tay-be-7-tuoi-dut-dong-mach-bang-ky-thuat-kho/20251031030642648