Vietnamese surgeons rebuild digestive route, helping patient drink again

A 53-year-old man in Vietnam can drink by mouth and is gradually relearning to eat after surgeons reconstructed a route for food despite the loss of his entire stomach and severe scarring that had closed his natural passage.

The injuries followed the accidental ingestion of toilet cleaner about a year earlier. Chemical burns caused complete stomach necrosis, and emergency doctors removed the organ to save his life. He then spent about two months in intensive care. When he was transferred to Viet Duc University Hospital in Hanoi, an examination showed that scarring in his mouth and lower throat had completely obstructed the normal eating route.

A multidisciplinary team performed the reconstruction in two stages. Working with ear, nose and throat specialists, surgeons first created an opening through the right piriform sinus. They then used a section of the patient’s colon to form a substitute esophagus, connecting the new opening to the small intestine.

The operation left three critical surgical connections requiring close monitoring. After one month, all had healed well and remained stable. Following nearly two months of rehabilitation, the patient could swallow water and begin eating again. Rehabilitation is continuing because the piriform sinus does not normally carry food, making gradual, supervised swallowing practice essential.