26 May 15:20
At the Krasnoyarsk Interdistrict Clinical Hospital No. 20 named after I. S. Berzon, pediatric surgeons performed a rare operation on a six-year-old patient. A parasitic lung cyst with a diameter of more than 6 centimeters was removed from the girl.
The child was initially admitted to the hospital with signs of a respiratory illness. Doctors suspected pneumonia, but an X-ray revealed a mass formation. After a computed tomography scan and tests, specialists confirmed echinococcosis.
Echinococcus is a parasite that can enter the body through dirty hands, unwashed food, or contact with infected animals. In this case, the larva settled in the child's left lung and gradually grew into a cyst. The operation was performed by the head of the children's surgical center Simon Poloyan and pediatric surgeon Andrei Demin. Instead of open chest surgery, doctors used video thoracoscopy. This is a low-traumatic method in which the intervention is carried out through small punctures using a camera.
“This time we used video thoracoscopy: several punctures, no incision in the chest. The child recovers quickly, there is no severe pain and barely noticeable traces remain. This is modern pediatric surgery,” said Simon Poloyan.
During the operation, surgeons first removed the liquid contents of the cyst, then treated the cavity with concentrated glycerin to destroy the parasite. After this, the cyst was removed in a special endocontainer to reduce the risk of re-infection. The girl has now been discharged from the hospital. She is under medical supervision and will take antiparasitic medications.
Doctors remind that echinococcosis is not transmitted by airborne droplets. The main prevention is washing hands, vegetables and fruits, as well as limiting contact with stray animals.
Related links:
- “The incident could have been fatal”: a private clinic was forced to pay Zheleznogorka 1.3 million rubles for a doctor’s mistake
- Krasnoyarsk doctors removed a rare tumor from a woman
