On Easter Sunday, Lucien, 48, awoke with a horrible pain in his abdomen. His family took him to the hospital where he was consulted in HAS’ 24/7 triage room.
An internist diagnosed Lucien with mesenteric ischemia, a condition in which the blood flow is restricted to the small intestine. There is an 80% death rate for the acute version of this disease.
Overcoming impossible odds.
Because HAS has a 24/7 on-call surgery staff, the team was able to get Lucien into the operating room quickly and perform the necessary surgeries to remove the parts of the intestine that no longer functioned and connect the remaining organs. Lucien was further treated with intravenous fluids and monitored carefully with laboratory tests.
Dr. Charles, his surgeon, says that every time he sees Lucien for follow-up appointments he is proud of the work he and the team did to keep this man alive.
Lucien’s family is also happy with the outcome.
“Without the doctors, he would not have lived,” says Lucien’s sister. “The doctors and nurses are very good. Without them, he wouldn’t be here. They really take care of him. It’s important for the hospital to continue to give people healthcare—because we would have many people who would not find solutions without it.”