Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital: 3 major surgeries save the life of a 20-day-old baby

At 3:35 a.m. on March 12, pregnant woman NTH (39 years old, Yen Thanh district) gave birth naturally for the fourth time atNghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. Previously, in January 2023, when she was 7 months pregnant, the fetus in Ms. NTH's womb was found to have abnormalities. Therefore, before going into labor, the family took the pregnant woman toNghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospitalwith the hope that doctors will help and support the child immediately after leaving the mother's womb.

Immediately after birth, baby NDL continuously vomited a lot of clear fluid. Immediately, the baby was transferred to the Neonatal Department for monitoring and treatment. Here, through clinical and paraclinical examination, the baby was found to have a series of congenital malformations: Severe coarctation of the aorta (congenital heart disease), esophageal atresia, duodenal obstruction. (These malformations were exactly as the doctors had previously diagnosed during the prenatal examination)... With these malformations, the risk of the baby's death was always present.

Doctors at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital performed life-saving surgery and treated the deformity of baby NDL. Photo: Hoang Yen

The doctors clearly advised the family about NDL's condition, deformities and risk of death, as well as the need for emergency surgery. Ms. NTH said: "I was in great pain when I saw my child gasping for breath, with only 1% chance of survival. Some people said to let my child lie down intact, not to put a knife on him anymore. But a mother's love did not allow me to surrender to fate. I trusted and entrusted my child's life and great hope to the doctors and nurses."

On March 13, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital really “raced” to save baby NDL. On one hand, the hospital’s doctors and nurses urgently prepared for surgery to treat severe aortic stenosis, combined with esophageal atresia. On the other hand, the hospital’s Social Work Department urgently prepared documents, contacted benefactors, and asked for support for treatment costs to save the child.

It can be said that performing two major surgeries in one session is extremely difficult for a weak body. However, in a life-or-death situation, if these two abnormalities are not promptly treated, NDL will die. Because the patient's life is the motivation for the Hospital's Surgical and Anesthesia Resuscitation team to try their best to perform this very high-tech surgery.

After 2 surgeries, baby NDL was actively resuscitated. However, the baby is still in critical condition with severe acid-base and electrolyte disorders, blood clotting disorders, severe CO2 retention, and the need for multiple complex vasomotors; at times the baby does not respond to the ventilator... To care for and treat the baby, the doctors and nurses of the Surgical Resuscitation Department often stay up all night to manually squeeze the balloon and maintain the baby's breathing.

When his health improved, on March 20, NDL had to undergo a second surgery to treat duodenal obstruction - a surgery that must be performed for the child to digest. Then on March 23, NDL continued to undergo surgery to place a drain to treat the problem of pneumothorax and pleural effusion.

After 3 major surgeries, baby NDL is no longer at risk of death due to major malformations. His health is improving and he is able to return home to his family. Photo: Hoang Yen

According to Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital: This is the most difficult case of multiple malformations that the hospital has ever treated. The departments of Surgery - Anesthesia - Intensive Care Surgery - Neonatal Resuscitation regularly have to consult, as well as ask for opinions from the hospital's leadership and experts at higher levels to implement treatment steps. Each step of treatment must be carried out very carefully and scientifically to help the child overcome the critical stages.

After 3 major surgeries, to help the child have the best source of nutrition, the doctors fed NDL breast milk through a tube, along with intravenous nutrition. The sweet drops of milk from the mother, along with the doctors' efforts to save her, and the miraculous vitality of NDL himself created a miracle. 20 days after birth, NDL was able to be paired with his mother, incubate Kangaroo and gradually find his own breast to breastfeed, his health recovered well.

Master Ta Thi Quynh Anh - Head of the Department of Surgical Resuscitation said: "Just one of the three malformations, severe aortic stenosis, esophageal atresia, and duodenal obstruction, is enough to threaten the child's life, which is already a very difficult problem for doctors and nurses. However, baby NDL has all three malformations, so we must know how dangerous the case is. Bringing life to baby NDL is a miracle. And to make that miracle, it requires multidisciplinary coordination, the spirit of being ready to perform surgery to save the baby right from birth in the Obstetrics Department of the family, as well as the support of the Hospital in difficult circumstances".