The unexpected gallbladder removal journey of a Vietnamese woman from the US who returned to Vietnam for medical treatment

Failed surgery in America

Ms. NH (51 years old, Vietnamese living in the US) has gone through a dramatic journey of treatment, from near-death moments in the US to a surprisingly successful surgery in Vietnam in July.

Sharing with VietNamNet reporters , Ms. H. said that in May, she was suddenly tormented by severe abdominal pain. She had to go to the emergency room at a large hospital in Los Angeles (USA).

After being admitted to the hospital, doctors discovered that the female patient had hundreds of stones blocking her bile duct. The doctor concluded that gallbladder surgery was needed to resolve this condition. However, the surgery could not be performed because Ms. H. had serious problems with anesthesia.

“Remembering that surgery, I am still haunted. When the doctor inserted the breathing tube, my throat tightened, feeling like I was suffocating. In my daze, tears welled up, I prayed for someone to help me drain the fluid so I could breathe. That was the moment I thought I was going to die, I waited every minute, every second to be able to breathe," Ms. H. recounted, her voice still haunted.

H. was rushed to the emergency room. There, medical staff promptly and continuously drained fluid, helping the patient overcome the danger. After 4 days of intensive treatment, she was discharged from the hospital but could not undergo surgery.

At this time, Ms. H. recalled a similar incident not long ago, when she returned to Vietnam to have liposuction surgery but could not be anesthetized. The doctor at that time warned: “You will never be anesthetized again for the rest of your life. Please note this as part of your medical records.”

However, Ms. H. did not really realize the danger of this problem until the failed surgery in the US.

Decision to return to Vietnam for medical treatment

At the end of July, Ms. H. returned to Vietnam for work and sought hope for gallstone treatment in her homeland.

“I have to have my gallbladder removed but I cannot be anesthetized. This is a really difficult problem and I need a doctor's advice,” said Ms. H.

When she first returned to Ho Chi Minh City, she bought an insurance package to cover the cost of surgery at a large private hospital. However, through the introduction of a friend from elementary school - now a doctor in Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. H. decided to go to Trung Vuong Hospital for consultation.

Here, she shared with the doctors about her gallstone condition and history of two failed anesthesia attempts.

“I felt reassured when I told them about the failed surgery because I couldn’t get anesthesia. The doctors listened very carefully and understood what I was going through. They explained everything in detail and gave me absolute confidence. I chose to have the surgery on August 1,” the overseas Vietnamese woman said.

Successful surgery and surprising cost

Before the surgery, Dr. Doan Kim Huyen, Head of the Department of Anesthesia and Resuscitation, Trung Vuong Hospital, conducted a thorough examination and discovered that Ms. H. was allergic to more than 20 antigens, had a high weight, and suffered from sleep apnea syndrome - factors that increase the risk of complications.

However, with the patient's condition, improper treatment can cause severe cholecystitis, stones can fall into the main bile duct causing bile duct obstruction, causing acute pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction and many other complications.

To ensure safety, the team applied a special anesthesia method: nebulization, intravenous injection of anti-allergy drugs and close monitoring of the patient's airway. Thanks to careful preparation, the surgery went smoothly, successfully removing 481 gallstones.

Three days later, Ms. H. was discharged from the hospital on August 4. “I felt like I was reborn. There was no more pain, I could even go out the next day,” she happily shared. What surprised Ms. H. and her family the most was that the cost of surgery, including room service, was only 2-3% of the cost in the US.

Gallstones are a common disease, in Vietnam, about 8-10% of the population suffers from this condition. Many patients are asymptomatic when diagnosed with gallstones (22.6 - 80%). Gallstones will not dissolve or disappear over time, once formed they will persist and progress, after 9 - 20 years, 11.7% to 23.7% will show symptoms, the risk of complications is up to 30.3%.

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/hanh-trinh-cat-mat-day-bat-ngo-cua-nu-viet-kieu-tu-my-ve-viet-nam-chua-benh-2434973.html