A malformed blood vessel forming a 'ring' constricts the airway of a 9-month-old child.

Recently, Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital admitted a 9-month-old patient, NTQ, from Quy Hop district, suffering from respiratory failure and severe pneumonia. After examination, echocardiography, and a CT scan of the chest, doctors discovered that the boy had a vascular anomaly caused by a double aortic arch. This vascular ring, like a ring, compressed the trachea and esophagus, causing prolonged wheezing, severe pneumonia, and tracheal stenosis.

After examination and consultation, the doctors determined that this was a very rare and difficult case with a poor prognosis, requiring double aortic arch reconstruction surgery for the child. Failure to treat promptly would be life-threatening. Double aortic arch reconstruction surgery is a very complex technique, especially in young children. The surgical process demands extremely high precision; otherwise, damage to the patient's aorta is very likely.

During the surgery on this patient, the surgical team performed a vascular ring resection, cutting the left branch of the artery immediately after the right subclavian artery, suturing both ends, and relieving the compression on the trachea and esophagus of the child... The surgery was very successful. Intraoperative tracheoscopy revealed that the tracheal stenosis caused by the double aortic arch was more dilated than before.

However, due to the patient's long-standing tracheal stenosis causing compression, combined with a soft tracheal cartilage, post-operative care in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit was challenging and required extreme caution, attentiveness, and meticulous attention. During treatment, the patient underwent multiple attempts at weaning off the ventilator, with close monitoring of each wheezing episode, and daily care including feeding, bathing, and hygiene.

After more than 60 days of intensive care in the ward, this child was discharged and returned home with his family in stable condition.