Surgeons reconstruct the patient's entire digestive tract, as he suffers severe chemical burns after accidentally ingesting toilet cleaner. — Photo courtesy of the Việt Đức University Hospital

HÀ NỘI — A 53-year-old man from the southern city of Cần Thơ has lost his entire stomach, suffered extensive deep burns to his oral cavity and lower pharyngeal region after accidentally ingesting toilet cleaner.

Doctors at the Việt Đức University Hospital in Hà Nội said on Sunday they have successfully handed this challenging case, where his oral cavity and lower pharyngeal region were completely scarred and constricted due to chemical burns.

Approximately one year ago, the patient unfortunately drank toilet cleaner by mistake, causing severe burns to his digestive tract and necrosis of his entire stomach.

At a local medical facility, after receiving emergency treatment and undergoing surgery to remove his entire stomach to save his life, followed by approximately two months of intensive care, the patient was transferred to the Việt Đức University Hospital in Hà Nội for continued treatment.

"This is an extremely rare and particularly complex case, as the patient has lost his entire stomach and no longer has a natural alimentary tract," said Nguyễn Xuân Hoà, deputy director of the Centre for Digestive Surgery and Pelvic Floor Disorders.

The patient need to undergo surgery to reconstruct a new alimentary pathway through the right pyriform sinus.

The operation involved collaboration with doctors from the National Otorhinolaryngology Hospital of Việt Nam.

Subsequently, the surgeons performed oesophageal reconstruction, recreating the food passage for the patient using a segment of his own colon.

The upper end of the colon segment was connected to the pyriform sinus and the lower end to the small intestine, creating a new digestive tract to replace the damaged alimentary pathway.

This is a highly difficult surgical technique designed to preserve swallowing function, restore the ability for food to pass through, and minimise the risk of post-operative complications.

The patient was closely monitored at three anastomosis sites simultaneously: between the colon and pyriform sinus; between the colon and small intestine; and at the colon site following removal of the segment used for reconstruction.

After nearly two months of surgery and intensive swallowing rehabilitation, the patient can now drink water orally and is gradually relearning how to eat, offering hope for recovery of digestive system function following this complex alimentary tract reconstruction surgery. — VNS