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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
In the United States, a sixty-year-old man who had undergone surgery had the unpleasant surprise of finding his wound open and his intestines on his stomach after sneezing. A rare case that could be treated without consequences for this patient.
It wasn’t on the menu. In Florida, a 63-year-old man found himself in an unprecedented (and traumatic) situation in the middle of a restaurant. His intestines came out of his body after a sneeze.
A wet feeling in the lower abdomen after sneezing
The 63-year-old man had a history of prostate cancer treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (ablation of the prostate) 9 years before the event. Despite surgery, a recurrence and salvage radiotherapy treatment led the medical team to perform an open cystectomy, a surgical procedure that aims to remove the bladder. The operation was successful and he was able to return home in good health.
Fifteen days later, after his check-up appointment, he went to a restaurant to have breakfast with his wife. The couple decided to celebrate the good results of the check-up. A sober and not excessive celebration, joyful around good little dishes.
But during the meal, the man begins to sneeze forcefully and cough. An act which was not without consequences…
“He immediately noticed a wet sensation and pain in his lower stomach. Looking down, he observed several pink intestinal loops protruding from the surgical wound. is it noted in the medical report.
Return to the hospital to treat the injury
Stunned, the man doesn’t really know how to react but remains valiant, “he covered the exposed intestines with his shirt. and initially decided to go to the hospital himself, but fearing that the change in position would cause him intestinal injuries, his wife called for an ambulance” report the authors.
On scene, the paramedic noted a vertical laceration of approximately 3 inches and large amounts of protruding intestine. “Only minimal bleeding was observed”however, underlines the study.
Once at the hospital, the team of urological surgeons inspected the entire length of the small intestine without finding any evidence of injury and returned the eviscerated intestine to the abdominal cavity. The patient was discharged after 6 days of observation.
We imagine that he didn’t go to the restaurant this time.
A typical case for our emergency doctor
Although it may not be very appetizing, this medical case is not very surprising for our medical director, Dr. Gérald Kierzek, an emergency physician. “It is typical of a abdominal evisceration through the scar that had not yet closed.”
It is therefore a question of acting with caution throughout the healing process. But the emphasis is also on sneezing. Should we be careful? Is it dangerous?
“Generally speaking, you should especially “avoid” holding back a sneeze because it increases the pressure inside the cavities, especially the abdominal cavity. The thing you should definitely not do is hold your nose! Because sneezing is an excess pressure that must be released outside.” recalls the emergency doctor.