Mangaluru
A 34-year-old man who had attempted suicide by consuming poison, and was brought to the KMC hospital Attavar in a critical state with a damaged oesophagus, has been successfully treated. The patient had lost his voice, and had spent nearly three months in the hospital, of which about 20 days were in the ICU.
E&T Surgeon Dr Suja Sreedharan stated that the patient was referred to the hospital with a condition called laryngotracheal stenosis, after a prolonged stay in ICU for attempting to die by suicide.
This condition, which causes severe scarring of the upper airway, requires a tracheostomy tube for breathing, and nasogastric tube for feeding.
Tracheal resection and anastomosis were carried out in a single-stage procedure, so that both the tubes could be removed in a matter of a few days. In this surgery, the narrowed segment of the airway was removed, and the two ends were joined together. The surgical team was led by ENT Surgeons Dr Suja Sreedharan and Dr Manisha Narayan. The anaesthesia team was led by Dr Sonal Bhat. The patient’s convalescence required multidisciplinary support from the pulmonary department led by Dr Vishak Acharya, and the physiotherapy department.
After three weeks, the trachea was endoscopically visualised and healing was confirmed. The patient has regained his voice and is now stable and doing well.
