After the operation, Professor Xiao Gang checked on the patients recovery.
"Thanks to President Xiao and the entire medical team, it was their precise judgment, their courageous and responsible spirit, and the successful operation that pulled me back from the brink of death." Recalling that life-threatening rescue, Ms. Pang still feels a chill down her spine.
Repeated anemia hides dangers.
Ms. Pang has been experiencing anemia for a year and has been treated for iron deficiency anemia all along.
In mid-June of this year, Ms. Pang experienced bloody stools and severe anemia. She was treated urgently at another hospital with blood transfusions and hemostatic drugs. Capsule endoscopy and small intestine endoscopy indicated small intestinal bleeding and a suspected duodenal tumor. Seeking further treatment, she was recommended to visit Hainan Chengmei Hospital, where she found Professor Xiao Gang, a renowned domestic expert in gastrointestinal surgery and a specially invited expert at Hainan Chengmei Hospital.
Professor Xiao Gang was formerly the director of the General Surgery and Gastrointestinal Surgery Department at the National Center for Geriatrics and Beijing Hospital, as well as a consultation expert for the Central Health Care Committee. He has extensive clinical experience in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive tract diseases, gastrointestinal tumors, and other surgical conditions, perioperative management, and the handling of surgical emergencies and critical cases. At the same time, he pays close attention to expanding and promoting the standardized and minimally invasive treatment of gastrointestinal tumors.
After Professor Xiao Gangs consultation, a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the previous diagnosis and treatment process was conducted. Through collaboration with multiple disciplines including radiology and gastroenterology, it was further confirmed that the lesion was of a tumor nature, located in the descending part of the duodenum, near the opening of the pancreaticobiliary duct, with a diameter of approximately 5 cm. It was considered to be a "gastrointestinal stromal tumor" that had repeatedly ruptured and bled, causing anemia. On June 30, 2025, the patient was admitted to Hainan Chengmei Hospital, and it was planned to undergo preoperative preparations for elective surgery.
After admission, Ms. Pang was still in an anemic state before the operation, with a hemoglobin level of only 71g/L, far below the normal range of 115-150g/L for women. During the preoperative examination and preparation in the hospital, Ms. Pang again passed a large amount of black stool in the morning, accompanied by pale skin all over the body, weakness, palpitations, and low blood pressure. An urgent re-examination of hemoglobin showed a sharp drop to 41g/L, indicating the onset of pre-shock due to blood loss.
The patient was suffering from acute active bleeding with a large volume of blood loss, and conservative treatment was unable to control the bleeding. In a critical situation, the tumor was located in a special position at the descending part of the duodenum, closely associated with important organs such as the pancreas and bile duct, making it difficult to determine the surgical scope. Under the condition of extremely severe anemia at 41g/L, emergency surgery posed a huge challenge for both the patient and the medical staff. However, without surgery, the tumor would continue to bleed, and conservative treatment would be difficult to achieve accurate results, with the patients life at risk at any moment.
In an emergency, what is tested is not only the doctors skills, emergency response capabilities, and the teams collaboration abilities, etc. Professor Xiao Gangs team did not hesitate for a moment and decided to immediately perform emergency surgery to save the patients life. During the operation, the surgical anesthesia team closely cooperated with Professor Xiao Gangs team under extremely low hemoglobin levels, and ultimately successfully completed the duodenal tumor resection and hemostasis surgery.
Under the meticulous care of the minimally invasive surgery nursing team, Ms. Pangs vital signs gradually stabilized and she recovered rapidly. She was discharged smoothly on the 9th day after the operation.
Anemia requires a thorough investigation to identify the root cause, and digestive tract disorders should be closely monitored.
The duodenum is located in a special position, at the junction of the stomach and the small intestine, surrounded by important organs such as the pancreas and bile ducts. Early symptoms of tumors in this area are not obvious and are easily overlooked.
Cases of duodenal tumor rupture and bleeding are not common, which is one of the reasons why Ms. Pang was misdiagnosed with iron deficiency anemia before. Professor Xiao Gang reminds that anemia in adults is not necessarily an independent disease but a signal of various diseases. If there are symptoms such as unexplained anemia, black stools, and abdominal pain, a comprehensive examination should be conducted in time, especially gastroscopy and colonoscopy, to detect digestive tract lesions at an early stage.
Expert Introduction
Xiao Gang
Vice President of Hainan Chengmei Hospital
Chief Physician
Chief Expert of Gastrointestinal Tumor Center
Medical expertise
He/She has extensive clinical experience in the perioperative management of digestive tract diseases, gastrointestinal tumors and other surgical diseases, as well as in the treatment of surgical emergencies and critical conditions. He/She also pays great attention to the expansion and promotion of minimally invasive and standardized treatment for gastrointestinal tumors.
Consultation Time
All day on Tuesday and Wednesday
Article | Huang Fei
Picture | Liangshan