A 72-year-old woman had abdominal pain. The doctor discovered that the IUD had strayed into her abdomen and was clinging tightly to her colon and small intestine, forming an abscess.
On March 30, Doctor Hoang Viet Dung, Head of General Surgery Department, Huu Nghi Hospital, said the patient was admitted to the hospital with increasing abdominal pain, nausea, and mild fever. Before that, an ultrasound showed no abnormalities, an endoscopy showed mild inflammation of the stomach and colon, and medication did not improve.
The CT scan results showed an image of the contraceptive device located in the abdominal cavity. The endoscopic surgeon discovered that the ring adhered tightly to the omentum, colon and small intestine, creating an infection. After removing the IUD and cleaning the abdomen, the patient was awake and recovered well.
She said she had used an IUD for over 40 years and had not had a gynecological examination. The doctor commented that the bracelet strayed from its original position for many years but was not detected, “a rare case”.
The IUD is a small device (usually T-shaped) that is placed into the uterus to help prevent pregnancy for many years. Two popular types of rings today are T-shaped and bow-shaped rings, with copper wrapping. The mechanism of the IUD is to cause an inflammatory reaction in the uterine lining, causing changes in the biochemical structure of endometrial cells, preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.
The IUD is a temporary contraceptive method for women, highly effective, easy to perform, economical and effective for many years. However, the IUD can cause some complications such as menorrhagia, low back pain, especially if it goes out of place.
An ectopic IUD is a rare condition, according to the doctor. Normally, the IUD is placed in the uterus for a limited time (depending on the type) and is removed after a certain period of time. If left for a long time, the IUD can pass through the uterus, into the abdomen and cause complications such as abdominal abscess, intestinal perforation causing peritonitis and sepsis.
“The cause of the IUD getting lost may be due to the process of inserting the IUD damaging the uterine wall, or not being removed in the abdomen for many years, so the IUD is deeply embedded in the uterine muscle, passing through the uterine muscle and lying freely in the womb. abdomen, intestines or bladder,” Dr. Dung explained.
Depending on the location of the ring as well as the penetration of organs, different treatment methods such as endoscopic intervention or surgery to remove it are available. Doctors recommend that the ring be placed at a reputable medical facility, performed by an experienced doctor. Regular check-ups to receive instructions on health care, hygiene to avoid infection as well as early detection of stray rings.