An 11-year-old boy from Lviv region suffered a ruptured intestine after falling off his bicycle.

At the Children's Medical Center (Okhmatdyt Hospital), an 11-year-old boy from the Zhydachiv region underwent emergency surgery after suffering a perforated small intestine from a fall off his bicycle. The child was admitted to the hospital with post-traumatic perforation of the small intestine.

Vadym (the boy's name) had been riding his bicycle for just half an hour when his outing took a turn for the worse. He fell off the bike, the handlebars twisted, and he struck his lower abdomen hard. At home, he began to complain of abdominal pain, prompting his parents to seek help from local medical professionals. They determined that the injury was serious and referred him to Lviv's Okhmatdyt, the medical facility reported.

At the hospital in Lviv, doctors diagnosed him with post-traumatic perforation of the small intestine and quickly took him to surgery.

“It was a complicated operation. During the diagnostic laparoscopy, we discovered the perforation of the small intestine, which was repaired. The impact was evidently very strong, as it injured the small intestine (a hollow organ), whereas such injuries typically affect parenchymal organs like the liver and spleen,” said Ihor Hulavskyi, head of the emergency and minimally invasive surgery clinic.

Doctors advise children to be cautious while riding bicycles, and parents to closely monitor their child's condition in case of injury. A hole in the gastrointestinal tract, they explain, allows intestinal contents to enter the abdominal cavity. The introduction of bacteria can lead to a condition known as peritonitis or an abscess. A perforation of the stomach wall can also result in chemical peritonitis due to stomach acid. Therefore, if a child experiences abdominal pain, it is important to seek medical attention immediately.

Vadym's surgery was successful. He has already been discharged from the hospital, but he will remain under medical supervision for some time.