Mycobacterium tuberculosis “bites” through a woman’s bronchus, and doctors use a custom-made “umbrella” to plug the loophole

Changjiang Daily Wuhan Client March 28 (Reporter Wu Ye Correspondent Zhang Quanlu) After the left lung was “bitten” by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the left main bronchus was “bitten” by Mycobacterium tuberculosis again. The pain of surgery, the Endoscopy Center of Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital successfully blocked the loophole with a customized “small umbrella” and successfully blocked the invasion of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. On March 28, the patient, Ms. Liu, recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

In November last year, Ms. Liu, 33, had her left lung removed due to severe tuberculosis. Unfortunately, the patient’s re-examination last week found that the remaining left main bronchus had been bitten through by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

It turned out that it was a difficult surgical operation to block the exposed bronchus on the cut surface after resection of part of the lung tissue, especially in patients with tuberculosis. Treating a bronchial fistula through a second operation will undoubtedly bring trauma to the patient again.

The doctor uses a custom-made stent graft to close the leak for the patient. Photo by reporter Wu Ye and correspondent Zhang Quanlu

In the Endoscopy Center of Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital, the doctor told Ms. Liu that she could build a “steel line of defense” against Mycobacterium tuberculosis without a single needle or knife. This is to place a covered stent in the left main bronchus through endoscopic techniques, and fully fit the tracheal wall through the stent’s own tension, so that the fistula of the left main bronchus is completely closed. After figuring out the treatment principle, Ms. Liu dispelled her concerns and accepted this treatment method happily.

Before the operation, Deputy Chief Physician Hu Zhimin designed the diameter and length of the stent according to Ms. Liu’s CT film, and then customized the “left blocking Y-shaped stent” from the manufacturer. On March 22, under the guidance of Jing Qiusheng, director of the Endoscopy Center, doctors Wu Mingdi, Liu Min and head nurse Zhang Jing cooperated to deliver the customized stent-graft to the designated location through an ultra-fine bronchoscope. The opened stent is like a small umbrella, which perfectly seals the left bronchial fistula and blocks Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

On March 28, after a week of treatment, Ms. Liu recovered well and was discharged from the hospital. Next, she only needs to take anti-tuberculosis drugs regularly, and then she can finally defeat tuberculosis.