Two Operations at Once: Irkutsk Surgeons Save Child with Rare Blood Disease

Irkutsk surgeons performed a complex operation on a child with a rare hereditary blood disease – spherocytic anemia, also known as Minkowski–Chauffard disease. Against the background of the primary diagnosis, the patient developed a severe complication – gallstone disease. Details were shared on his Telegram channel by Yuri Kozlov, the head physician of the Irkutsk Regional Children«s Hospital.

The medical team faced a dual task: to remove the gallbladder, which was completely filled with stones, and to perform a splenectomy – the removal of the spleen. This operation is necessary for such a disease to reduce the risk of severe anemic crises and improve the patient«s quality of life.

First, the specialists performed a cholecystectomy, i.e., they removed the gallbladder using a minimally invasive method. Then the surgeons carefully isolated and clipped the vessels of the spleen, after which they removed the organ, causing minimal trauma to the surrounding tissues.

The operation proceeded without complications. Doctors note that this case clearly demonstrates the capabilities of modern surgery: today, even with a combination of several serious diagnoses, one comprehensive intervention can be performed, reducing the recovery period and lessening the load on the child«s body.