At St Nicholas Children’s Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv, doctors performed a complex operation on an 11-year-old girl with a rare congenital anomaly of the pelvic organs and prevented a life-threatening uterine rupture.
The child sought medical help with acute abdominal pain radiating to the rectum and leg, as well as complaints of difficulty urinating and constipation. Examination showed that the patient had a double uterus, with the right part having formed without a cervical canal. This blocked the outflow of menstrual blood, which had been accumulating for around six months from the onset of menstruation and led to an acute condition.
To relieve the pain and eliminate the risk of uterine rupture, after additional examinations the specialists decided to perform a laparoscopic procedure. During the operation, the surgeons removed the right uterus together with the fallopian tube, while managing to preserve the right ovary, which is important for maintaining normal hormonal balance and the girl’s future reproductive health. The operation was successful.
Doctors emphasise that congenital developmental anomalies may not cause pronounced symptoms for a long time, which is why preventive check-ups of children by doctors of different specialities are important. The first visit to a paediatric gynaecologist is recommended in adolescence or after the onset of menstruation, followed by regular check-ups.
«Prevention of such conditions is practically impossible. But early detection is the key to avoiding serious complications», stresses paediatric gynaecologist Yuliia Masliuk.
St Nicholas Hospital has a permanent paediatric gynaecology clinic, where girls are diagnosed not only with anomalies in the development of the pelvic organs, but also with other congenital conditions. To correct them, specialists use modern laparoscopic and robotic surgical techniques.