Saving the eyes of a 21-year-old man weighing only 10kg and suffering from brittle bone disease

A 21-year-old man with brittle bone disease, weighing only 10kg, was successfully operated on by doctors at Military Hospital 103, saving his eyes from retinal detachment from the risk of permanent blindness.

Doctor Nguyen Le Trung examines a patient after surgery - Photo: BVCC

Sharing about the special case, Dr. Nguyen Le Trung, Deputy Head of the Ophthalmology Department of Military Hospital 103, said: "When we first met the patient, we realized that this was a very complicated case.

The boy is 21 years old but his body is like a child, weighs 10kg, his chest is deformed, he cannot walk, his body is fragile, skin and bones. If not intervened promptly, the risk of losing his vision is very high.

Examining the patient was very difficult. The patient sat in a chair as usual. In particular, because the patient's bones were very brittle and easily broken, all operations had to be extremely gentle, to avoid causing pain or further damage.

"Just one inappropriate operation, from the transportation to the operating room to the examination, can cause serious complications. In retinal detachment surgery, determining the exact location of the tear is the deciding factor for success. But in this case, that step was extremely difficult because the eye structure is especially fragile," said Dr. Trung.

After consultation, the doctors decided to perform retinal detachment surgery, returning the detached retina from its supporting tissue to its original position, restoring vision.

In the operating room, the team had to be extremely meticulous and gentle, because the patient’s eyes were as weak as those of a newborn baby. After many hours of intense surgery, the operation was a success.

"The next day, when the bandage was removed and the ultrasound showed that the retina had been reattached, joy erupted not only among the ophthalmology department but also the patient's family," Dr. Trung shared.

The patient is expected to be discharged this week and will continue to be monitored and given special care at home.

Dr. Trung added that the patient was given careful eye care to prevent retinal detachment from recurring. Because retinal detachment is a very dangerous disease, it can recur even after successful surgery.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cuu-doi-mat-nam-thanh-nien-21-tuoi-chi-nang-10kg-mac-benh-xuong-thuy-tinh-20250924184703053.htm