Vascular surgery saves 90-year-old man's leg

(Baonghean.vn) - The Provincial General Hospital of Friendship has just successfully performed vascular surgery to save the leg of a 90-year-old man.

The external iliac artery system and the common femoral artery of the left leg were completely blocked. Photo: Hoang Yen

Mr. Vo Cong Huan (90 years old in Thanh Chuong district) suffered from complex chronic arterial occlusion, was often in pain, could not walk and had to stay in one place. Thinking that he had sprained his ankle after falling, his family cut medicine for him to take but it did not help. It was not until Mr. Huan's left toe was swollen, purple and black, painful, and increasingly spreading to his knee that he was taken to Nghe An General Hospital for examination.

Through clinical examination and X-ray, the patient was diagnosed with multiple atherosclerotic plaques that unevenly blocked the arterial system of the lower limbs on both sides. In particular, the external iliac artery system and the common femoral artery of the left leg were completely blocked. Severe blood shortages in the limbs led to infection and necrosis of the toes, which spread more and more.

If not operated, the increasingly large necrotic area will directly affect the patient's life due to the risk of infection and poisoning.

Surgery to save Mr. Huan's leg. Photo: Hoang Yen

Master Pham Van Chung - Deputy Head of Thoracic Surgery Department said: The patient's blood vessels were blocked too long and complicated, so surgery was the only optimal solution. However, the patient was old and in poor health, so the surgery was very difficult, with many potential risks from anesthesia, surgery to post-operative surgical resuscitation.

After surgery, Mr. Huan's health recovered well and he was discharged from the hospital on the morning of December 20. Photo: Hoang Yen

In that situation, the hospital doctors were determined to try to save the patient's legs and life. On December 7, the patient underwent major surgery, with an artificial blood vessel surgically spliced ​​from the right femoral artery to the left thigh, running through a tunnel under the skin above the pubic bone. Next, the doctors continued the splicing from the femoral artery to the popliteal artery using an autologous vein taken from the right leg; bringing blood to the lower leg below the knee.

After the surgery, the patient’s health improved significantly. The patient’s left leg pain was gone, the necrosis of his big toe stopped progressing, and his feet and toes were rosy thanks to the blood supply. On December 20, Mr. Vo Cong Huan was discharged from the hospital./.

Hoang Yen