He lived for 13 years with his intestine in his buttock and leg, surgery performed at Monaldi.

Michele, a fictitious name to protect his privacy, has lived for over 13 years with a complex lumbocele. The condition was caused by a car accident that resulted in multiple trauma, with a tear in the large lateral abdominal muscles. This injury caused a defect in the abdominal wall that, over time, led to the intestines coming out, moving towards the buttock.

After years of living with this serious condition, Michele underwent surgery at theMonaldi hospital. The surgery, described as incredible, aimed to reconstruct the abdominal wall and reposition the intestine in its natural position. The complexity of the case required the use of innovative techniques and the intervention of a highly qualified medical team.

His case, according to several centers he consulted, was too complex to address. At just 47 years old, he would have had to live with a medical condition that significantly compromised his quality of life. After being diagnosed as inoperable and consulting specialists throughout Italy, he turned to the General Surgery Unit at the Hospital. Monaldi of Naples, directed by Dr. Diego Cuccurullo who, drawing on his experience in treating wall disasters, approached the case with a multidisciplinary approach and deemed a surgical approach possible.

The intervention at Monaldi

The surgery was extremely innovative and combined three different techniques: the hug technique (a prolonged "embrace" to return the organs to the abdomen), the implantation of a special device to traction, tighten, and lengthen the abdominal fascia, and, finally, the so-called "Madrid" technique for parietal reconstruction with prostheses.

"When he came to our attention, we subjected the patient to in-depth diagnostic tests and, on a CT scan, we realized that the abdominal cavity was completely emptied of viscera. The intestine was no longer in its natural position," explained Cuccurullo, who headed the team that performed the surgery.

"But we believed a surgical correction was possible with a one-of-a-kind procedure. I've nicknamed it 'Madrid's Close Embrace' due to the combination of techniques used. To convey the complexity and delicacy of the procedure, just consider the fact that prostheses so large they nearly covered a square meter were used," he continued.

The surgery was a complete success, and the patient not only had an excellent postoperative recovery, but was also discharged in excellent condition, returning to his social and work activities without complications and regaining a quality of life that had become unimaginable for him.

"Monaldi Hospital is a national referral center for abdominal wall injuries and complex abdominal surgery. We successfully treat cases deemed inoperable by others using cutting-edge techniques. Thanks to the expertise of our professionals, we adopt multidisciplinary and innovative solutions with excellent results, making us the leading center in Campania in terms of number of cases and complexity of procedures," commented Anna Iervolino, attorney general of the Colli Hospital.