All the organs in the stomach are disorganized in a road accident

• Severe liver injury and damaged diaphragm too
• Emergency laparoscopic surgery at KIMS Hospital saves the life of a youth

Hyderabad, 20th July 2022: A 26-year-old youth was severely injured in a head-on collision accident between two bikes. Immediately after the injury, he was treated by a nursing home in the Nalgonda district on an outpatient basis. He was diagnosed with a case of injury over the chest with multiple abrasions over the body. He was treated symptomatically. After 24 hours of injury, he developed severe chest pain with difficulty in breathing. So, the local doctor referred the patient to a higher centre because of the high risk of surgery and the critical condition of the patient. 

The patient was then shifted to KIMS hospital in Secunderabad. He was administered 10Litre oxygen on high nasal flow oxygen, but still, the saturation was only 85%. Something other than COVID can also cause low oxygen saturation. His heart rate was around 140. After a thorough examination, assessment of chest x-ray and chest CT scan, diagnosis of traumatic injury of the diaphragm with herniation of stomach colon and omentum along with major liver injury was detected. Dr Sachin Daga, consultant Surgical Gastroenterologist explained the case details.

"Other than COVID, there will be several reasons for low saturation. We performed emergency laparoscopic surgery. We found that due to the severe accident, he had an injury to the diaphragm (A wall between the lungs and stomach). There was a 7 cm rent in the diaphragm with the stomach colon and omentum slipped from the abdomen into the chest cavity. As traumatic liver was very close to the injured diaphragm. Because of all these complex conditions, the surgery was quite challenging. We have performed technically difficult surgery in emergency laparoscopically. All the contents were brought back to the abdomen and then the defect in the diaphragm was closed. As Surgery was laparoscopic, a big scar on the stomach was avoided and recovery was very fast. The patient was comfortable on the next day of surgery and off the ventilator too. He was ready for discharge on 4th day after surgery. 

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is a very rare, and life-threatening condition. Diagnosis is frequently done on a chest x-ray or chest CT Scan. Diagnosis is frequently delayed due to the delayed development of symptoms, which may result in a late intervention with a potentially catastrophic outcome. So, in such serious accident cases, one should be moved immediately to the nearest best hospital with good facilities and able doctors" said Dr Sachi Daga.