A 92-YEAR-OLD PATIENT HAD A COLOSTOMY REMOVED: IT WAS INTERFERING WITH HER GARDENING

Two years ago, Anna Fedorovna underwent a very complex surgery to remove cancer from the body of her stomach, which was accompanied by a number of complications: local peritonitis, perforation of the large intestine, fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity and pelvis. In addition to these problems, the patient from Samara had the classic set of comorbidities: high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Moreover, in her case, it was necessary to directly connect the esophagus to the intestine, and after problems with the large intestine’s patency, a double-barreled colostomy had to be installed.

«Two years later, right after the New Year holidays, she comes to us at the P. Hertsen MORI and categorically says: doctor, let’s remove the colostomy, it bothers me», – recounts Professor Vladimir Trifonov, head of the Abdominal Surgery Centre. «It bothers me… from taking care of the garden! I simply could not believe my ears».  The fact is, throughout her hospital stay after the gastrectomy, our patient was under special supervision due to her age and the complications that arose, and these concerns were still vivid in the institute. An extended council was convened with the participation of several oncology specialists, the head of the Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Department, Professor Victoria Khoronenko, and the Deputy General Director for Surgery at the National Medical Research Radiological Centre of the Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, Professor Andrey Ryabov.

After assessing the situation and taking into account the patient’s attitude and active lifestyle — she engaged not only in gardening but also in sports and had always been a true fighter — the medical board approved the operation to remove the double-barrelled colostomy. «On the same day, the patient was transferred from the recovery room to the specialized abdominal surgery department», recounts the patient’s attending physician Ivan Korobov. The anesthesiologists assessed her condition and concluded that she no longer required their assistance. This is, of course, an exceptional case, taking into account her age, diagnosis, and the entire previous course of treatment. It was influenced not only by the actions of the doctors but also by the patient’s own attitude towards the problem, her mindset and life stance, which Andrey Dmitrievich Kaprin often reminds us of: if doctor and patient are united, the disease is in the minority».

On the fifth day after completing the rehabilitation course with the institute’s specialists, the 92-year-old patient was discharged home in good condition and spirits. Wishing you many more years of life, dear Anna Fedorovna!