Man loses entire digestive tract after accidentally drinking toilet cleaner
A 53-year-old man in southern Vietnam accidentally ingested a toilet cleaner and suffered from severe burns to his digestive tract and complete necrosis of his stomach before doctors managed to reconstruct his digestive system.
A rare surgical case unfolded when a man in Can Tho City, Vietnam, tragically lost his entire digestive system after consuming toilet cleaner. Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hoa, deputy director of the gastrointestinal surgery center at Viet Duc University Hospital, recounted the complex situation on August 23. The patient endured total gastrectomy at a local clinic and spent two months in intensive care before being transferred to Viet Duc.
Doctors at the hospital discovered severe scarring and a complete narrowing of the oral cavity and hypopharynx due to chemical burns. With no stomach or natural food passage, the surgical team faced the daunting task of reconstructing his digestive tract and restoring his ability to eat and drink.
The groundbreaking procedure involved two primary stages: creating a new food passage and reconstructing the digestive tract. Specialists from the National Hospital of Otolaryngology joined forces with Viet Duc's team to construct a new passage through the patient's right pyriform sinus. Subsequently, they utilized a segment of the colon to fabricate an esophagus, connecting it to the pyriform sinus and the small intestine, effectively forming a new digestive tract.
The intricate operation aimed to preserve swallowing function, restore food passage, and minimize postoperative complications. The surgical team meticulously monitored the healing of three major anastomoses: the connections between the colon and pyriform sinus, the colon and small intestine, and the reconnected segment of the colon. Continuous assessment, infection control, nutritional management, and overall condition monitoring were crucial throughout the postoperative period.
One month post-surgery, all anastomoses had healed well and remained stable. The patient began a crucial stage of recovery, undergoing swallowing exercises and rehabilitation to adapt to the new food passage. Swallowing exercises were gradually introduced under medical supervision, given that the pyriform sinus does not typically function as a passage for eating.
After nearly two months, the patient successfully drank water by mouth and gradually resumed eating. The circumstances surrounding the accidental ingestion of the toilet cleaner remain undisclosed.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress International's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
