A 14-year-old boy is recovering in hospital after a bicycle accident left him with internal injuries so severe that he lost over a litre of blood and needed emergency surgery to survive.
The teenager whose name has been withheld, fell off a bicycle in Mbereshi area of Mwansabombwe District, and was rushed to Mbereshi Mission Hospital where doctors suspected internal bleeding and quickly referred him to Zambia Flying Doctor Service (ZFDS) Ng’anga Bilonda Hospital for specialist care.
Upon arrival, a scan confirmed that his abdomen was filled with blood, a suspected splenic rupture forcing the medical team to take him straight to the operating theatre.
The young boy was then urgently moved into the operating room for a life-saving procedure known as laparotomy, a surgical procedure that involves making a large cut in the abdomen (belly) to access the internal organs.
Dr Christian Mutombo took charge of the urgent laparotomy, which began at 22:43 hours.
Under Dr Mutombo’s expert guidance, the surgical team carefully assessed the boy’s internal organs to pinpoint the cause of his distress.
The discovery of a grievous laceration on the spleen revealed the source of the boy’s severe blood loss, with a startling estimate of 1,200 milliliters of blood lost from the wound.
This critical finding propelled the surgical team into action, as they worked tirelessly to control the bleeding and stabilise the patient.
With the damage to the spleen deemed too severe for repair, the surgical team faced the difficult decision to perform splenectomy, a procedure that involves the complete removal of the spleen.
This invasive surgery halted the boy’s hemorrhaging, saving his life.
The skilled hands of Assistant Linda Moonga, Theatre Nurse Yvette Salangeta, Anesthetist Chabu Chisunka, and Runner Jane Mumba supported Dr Mutombo in this intricate operation, successfully guided the patient through the critical moments of the surgery.
By Sharon Zulu
Kalemba August 4, 2025
