His Trachea was 95 Percent Closed, He Returned to Life with 10 Hours of Surgery
Ahmet Yasin SARIÇİÇEK (21), a first-year medical student who was intubated and stayed in intensive care for 52 days due to incaphalitis caused by the herpes virus, had difficulty breathing due to stenosis in the respiratory tract after he was treated and woken up. SARIÇİÇEK, whose lungs were clear, underwent two operations to expand his trachea but could not recover, regained his health after a difficult 10-hour operation performed by Thoracic Surgery Specialist Prof. Dr. Sina ERCAN and Dr. ERCAN said, “When the patient came to us, his windpipe was 95 percent closed. We see that the trachea can be damaged in patients who are intubated and remain in intensive care. If not intervened quickly, the patient may have to live with a tracheostomy for life.”
Ahmet Yasin SARIÇİÇEK (21), a first-year medical student living in Istanbul, was admitted to hospital with a high fever and headache on the evening of his birthday. Yasin was diagnosed with a cold and discharged with antibiotic treatment. His condition deteriorated rapidly and he went to the doctor again. As a result of the tests, he was diagnosed with encephalitis (brain inflammation) due to the herpes virus and was intubated and taken to intensive care. After a 52-day intensive care period, Ahmet Yasin, who had difficulty breathing due to stenosis in the respiratory tract, regained his health with a difficult surgery performed by Prof. Dr. Sina ERCAN and his team from Yeditepe University Kosuyolu Hospital.
“Prof. Dr. Sina ERCAN: There was no solid tissue in the trachea to hold the stitches”
Prof. Dr. Sina ERCAN, evaluating Ahmet Yasin SARIÇİÇEK's condition, explained how complicated the surgery was in the following words:
“When we first saw my patient, we realized that this stenosis due to intubation was at a very sensitive point. Since it was very close to the vocal cords, the surgery was going to be quite challenging. We examined the situation in the first tomographs, but the picture we encountered during surgery was much more severe. The cartilage structures in the larynx were severely damaged and it was almost impossible to find intact tissue for repair. For this reason, we had to start the suturing process all over again for the second time, because there was no healthy tissue that could hold the stitches. Moreover, the patient had no chance of a second surgery.”
“It is very critical that the postoperative stenosis does not recur”
Stating that one of the most critical stages of the postoperative process is to prevent the recurrence of the stenosis, Prof. Dr. ERCAN said, “The biggest risk in such surgeries is that the procedure does not heal properly and the stenosis recurs. If a stenosis had developed again in the area we added, we might not have had the chance of surgical intervention again. Therefore, we took a critical decision and opened a protective tracheostomy so that the patient could heal without difficulty in the area where the insertion was made in sensitive and relatively weak tissues. We planned the tracheostomy in such a way that it would not affect the surgical site. We saw how correct this decision was in the following process. We had the chance to close the tracheostomy after about three weeks and the operation area healed without any problems.”
Wrong Interventions May Magnify the Problem'
Emphasizing that SARIÇİÇEK's surgery should be meticulously planned, Prof. Dr. Sina ERCAN stated that improper surgical interventions can exacerbate the problem, “Although the narrowed area in our patient's trachea was not very long, it was in an extremely critical position. The cartilage structures were completely destroyed. At this stage, it was of great importance to determine the right treatment method. When methods such as endoscopic laser and stents are sometimes used incorrectly, the problem can become even bigger. Incorrect interventions, especially in areas close to the vocal cords, can cause the problem to become inextricable. Our main goal was to ensure a healthy recovery by preserving the patient's breathing, speech and voice functions. Fortunately, we have successfully completed this process.”
“SARIÇİÇEK: I had difficulty breathing, my quality of life decreased”
Describing the process he went through, Ahmet Yasin SARIÇİÇEK said, “Various treatments were tried, I underwent balloon dilatation surgery twice, but unfortunately it was not enough. My breathing problem continued to increase and this situation was seriously affecting my quality of life. It was difficult to walk normally, focus on my studies and even do simple daily activities. Finally, thank God, I reached Prof. Dr. Sina ERCAN.”
'He gave me confidence at our first meeting'
Explaining how he decided on the operation process, SARIÇİÇEK expressed his trust in his doctor with the following words: “When Dr. ERCAN first saw me, he said, 'I will take care of it'. At that moment, I really felt that I was in safe hands. I was taken into surgery urgently and I regained my health after the operation. Now I can breathe easily, I am back to my life, I continue my education, I can go to and from school. Most importantly, I can breathe in and out in a healthy way and this makes me very happy. I owe this completely to Dr. Sina ERCAN.”
“I wonder if I will be able to breathe again?”
Sharing his concerns before the surgery, SARIÇİÇEK said, “I had great concerns before the surgery. I was thinking, ‘Will I be able to breathe again?’ Because I was in a really difficult situation. But I felt in safe hands. When I woke up after the surgery, the first thing I realized was that I could breathe again. At that moment, all my worries ended and I was able to return to my real life, my real life.”
“Prof. Dr. Sina ERCAN is my idol, I will be a good doctor in the future”
Ahmet Yasin, who continues his education at the Faculty of Medicine, said that this process motivated him even more. SARIÇİÇEK said, “I love reading and learning very much. My education is one of the most valuable things for me. I really love studying medicine and I will do my best to become a successful doctor. My teacher Dr. ERCAN made a great effort for me, thanks to him I believed that I could adapt to life again. I want to be a doctor who touches people's lives like him in the future. He is my idol. He opened a big door for me on this path and gave me my life back. I thank him endlessly,” he said.
Father Ilhan Saricicek: “His illness started on his birthday”
Ahmet Yasin SARIÇİÇEK's father İlhan SARIÇİÇEK explained the process his son went through in the following words: “My son Ahmet's illness started on his birthday when he went to have fun with his friends. When he came home in the evening, he said he had a headache. When his fever rose, we immediately took him to the hospital. In the first examination, it was thought to be a simple cold, and we were given antibiotics and sent home. However, when his complaints increased at night, we had to go to the hospital again. As a result of the tests, encephalitis due to the herpes virus was diagnosed and my son was taken to intensive care. This process, which started on January 28, continued at the hospital until April 22. For 52 days he was intubated and stayed in intensive care. Afterwards, he was taken to the ward and discharged, but the problems did not end.”
'He had difficulty breathing for 5-6 months'
Explaining that Ahmet Yasin continued to have breathing problems after he returned home, his father İlhan SARIÇİÇEK said, “The main problem was that he could not breathe. He had constant problems for about 5-6 months until he underwent surgery in July. He was supposed to start physical therapy, but even that was not possible because of his shortness of breath. He could not continue his daily life. We consulted different doctors but we could not find a definite solution. Finally, we reached Prof. Dr.Sina ERCAN ”
Even with phlegm or saliva, there was a risk of suffocation'
Father SARIÇİÇEK also mentioned the anxious process they went through in the following words; “That period was very difficult for us. In the first examination, Ahmet Yasin's trachea was 90-95 percent blocked. He was in such a critical condition that there was a danger of suffocation even with just a sputum or saliva. So he was urgently hospitalized and operated on in the morning. Of course, we were worried, but we were able to get through the process a little more comfortably thanks to the reassuring approach of our teacher Dr. Sina ERCAN”
'We are happy and grateful today'
Speaking about the process after the surgery, the father stated that it was a great joy for them that his son regained his health: “I don't want to go through those difficult days again. It was a really heavy process. My son had such an illness on his 20th birthday. When he was in the prime of his life, a healthy young man who was doing sports, he suddenly had such a big complication. We experienced shock after shock, but when we look at where we are today, we are relieved and happy. Ahmet Yasin has regained his health and continues his life. We are grateful to everyone who contributed.”
”
See Also
- He Couldn't Breathe; He Regained His Health with the Application of 3 Different Special Surgical Techniques Together
- Voice Can be Lost If Tracheal Stenosis is Not Detected Early
- Unable to Speak Due to Her Illness, Sibel: I Could Not Tell My Children 'I am Here' During the Earthquake
- Treated For Asthma For Two Years But Has Had A Tumour In Her Trachea
- Chance of Treatment in Patients Who Have a Tube Inserted in Their Throat to Breathe
- Young Man Who Lost His Voice Due to Tracheostomy Regained His Voice After Months
- The Cause of Shortness of Breath May be Trachea Stenosis
- It Is Possible to Prevent Possible Complications of Intubation
- The Tumor in the Trachea was Removed Without Damaging the Vocal Cords
- Survived Coronavirus, Had Windpipe Blockage Months Later, Returned From Death
- The Young Man Whose Trachea Was Completely Blocked After An Accident Regained Both His Health and His Voice
- What is Intubation?
- Lung Cancer
Alo Yeditepe
