Chinese doctors transform gastroscopy treatment in South Sudan

Chinese doctors do gastroscopy assisted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture anesthesia at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)

JUBA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The 10th batch of the Chinese medical team has introduced a new formula of treatment that combines gastroscopy with traditional Chinese acupuncture to relieve patients of pain in South Sudan.

Mou Dut, a 21-year-old South Sudanese, had been vomiting bloody fluids after meals for more than ten days before he sought help from the Chinese medical doctors at the Juba Teaching Hospital.

Xu Zhangwei, digestive physician and the leader of the Chinese medical team in collaboration with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) physician Ji Qiaoxue, and anesthesiologist Yu Yongqi decided to perform a gastroscope inspection assisted by TCM acupuncture anesthesia on Dut.

The doctors recommended this treatment after discovering Dut's poor health conditions and his body's intolerance to conventional gastroscopy, in addition to avoiding the high risk of gastroscopy under general anesthesia.

"During the examination, precise acupuncture anesthesia gave full support and an effective guarantee to smooth gastroscopy examination which was also monitored by anesthesiologists. Through close cooperation, Chinese doctors successfully found the invasive lesions in the patient's gastric antrum," Xu told Xinhua on Tuesday in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Gastroscopy is an important method of gastrointestinal endoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive system diseases. Invasive lesions are malignant cellular populations that have increased in size and infiltrated the surrounding tissues.

Xu said that this was the first gastroscopy performed with acupuncture-assisted anesthesia in the medical field of South Sudan.

"The patient had no obvious discomfort during the entire examination, and was suggested to go to the surgery department for further treatment after the gastroscopy," Xu said.

Xu noted that his team applied the traditional acupuncture therapy of Chinese medicine to gastroscopy, to achieve the purpose of anesthesia reducing pain during the endoscope examination.

"The successful gastroscopy of this time, combining advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, not only demonstrates the diagnosis and treatment level of the medical team but also shows the unique fascination of TCM and created a new starting point in the medical field of South Sudan," he added.

Xu said that the 10th batch of China's medical team would give full play to TCM in the diagnosis and treatment, using their creative concept and skillful medical practice to benefit the health of South Sudanese.

Acupuncture has been used in China and around parts of the world for more than 2,000 years. The technique involves inserting thin needles into the skin, most commonly at traditional acupuncture point locations, and stimulating them either manually or electrically.

The manual stimulation technique involves the manipulation of needles through rotation, lifting, and thrusting, while the electrical stimulation technique applies a small electrical current to stimulate the needles. 

A Chinese doctor does gastroscopy assisted by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) acupuncture anesthesia at the Juba Teaching Hospital in Juba, South Sudan, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo by Denis Elamu/Xinhua)