Vietnamese doctors remove 16cm tree branch lodged in 3-year-old girl's abdomen for over 4 months

According to doctor Nguyen Hien from the hospital, the patient, H.M.L. from Dak Lak Province, had fallen into a pond near her home roughly four months ago. She was treated at a local hospital and discharged after two months.

About a month later, she developed a high fever and a lingering cough. She was diagnosed with pneumonia and admitted for nearly 30 days.

An ultrasound scan revealed a suspicious mass in her abdomen, prompting doctors to suspect a foreign object.

She was transferred to Children's Hospital 2 for further treatment.

A CT scan revealed a stick-like wooden object measuring about 1 by 16 centimeters, extending from the rectum to the liver.

Endoscopic examination confirmed that the object had pierced through several sections of the digestive tract, including the rectum, small intestine, and duodenum. This caused severe inflammation and widespread intestinal adhesions.

Doctors proceeded with open abdominal surgery, working carefully to separate the adhesions and remove the object without damaging nearby blood vessels, nerves, the ureter, or other organs.

After four hours in the operating room, the surgical team successfully removed the entire tree branch intact. They then stopped the bleeding, repaired internal damage, and performed a temporary colostomy.

"This was a highly complex case because the foreign object had remained inside the abdomen for such a long time, causing significant adhesions," doctor Hien said. 

"Fortunately, it had not punctured any major blood vessels, so the child's life was not in immediate danger."

The child is recovering well and is expected to be discharged within a week. The temporary colostomy will be reversed in about a month.

Doctors described the case as extremely rare. A sharp object left inside the abdominal cavity for an extended period can lead to serious complications, including perforation of organs, widespread infection, and even multiple organ failure.

In this case, doctors believe the child's earlier treatment for aspiration pneumonia using broad spectrum antibiotics may have incidentally suppressed infection from the foreign object, helping her survive the most dangerous period.

Medical experts note that rectal penetration by foreign objects in children, though uncommon, can happen, especially when children play or bathe in natural water bodies like ponds, streams, or lakes.

Surviving with such a large object inside the abdominal cavity for over four months is highly unusual and presents a serious medical risk.

Children's Hospital 2 urged parents to supervise young children closely when they are outdoors, especially during the rainy season when flooding and debris increase the chances of injury.

Children should never play near ponds, rivers, or lakes without adult supervision. Parents should also keep children away from flooded roads and unstable bridges.

In any household accident, it is essential to bring children to a medical facility for a full checkup, even if there are no obvious external injuries, to avoid missing potentially life threatening internal damage, doctor Hien added.