Saving the life of a newborn with organs outside the abdominal cavity.

Khanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital has successfully saved the life of a newborn with a rare birth defect.



The baby is recovering well and is able to breastfeed.

The patient was the son of a woman in Vinh Phuoc ward (Nha Trang city), weighing 2 kg. He was born with a congenital defect: a 4 cm diameter opening in the right abdominal wall near the navel. His stomach, part of his liver, small intestine, and large intestine protruded through this opening, lying outside the abdominal wall. The surface of the intestines was dry, but there were no signs of intestinal atrophy. Doctors diagnosed abdominal wall defect, severe infection, and a high risk of death. Immediately after neonatal resuscitation, the baby underwent an emergency surgery to correct the defect. The surgical team used a blood collection bag to create an improved silo to contain the intestines outside the abdominal wall.

After the surgery, the baby was transferred back to the neonatal intensive care unit for antibiotic treatment, intravenous feeding, and a silo suspension. Nine days after the silo removal surgery, the intestines inside the silo had regained their healthy color and had partially protruded into the abdominal cavity (50%). On May 6th, a second surgery was performed to return the remaining intestines to the abdominal cavity and close the abdominal wall. The baby continued to receive antibiotic treatment, intravenous feeding, intensive care, and mechanical ventilation support.

However, after the second surgery, the baby experienced respiratory problems for about a day, severe sepsis, generalized edema, and cyanosis. The doctors persevered and actively treated the baby in resuscitation efforts to save her life. Day by day, week by week, the baby gradually recovered, was able to breastfeed, had normal bowel movements, and was discharged from the hospital in a stable condition with a good prognosis.

At the follow-up appointment on the afternoon of May 30th, the baby was found to be completely healthy, much to the joy of the family and the doctors.

According to Tuoi Tre - TH