Doctors at Military Hospital 120 in Dong Thap Province recently removed a ten‑centimetre bamboo splinter from a 66‑year‑old man's neck. The story highlights how a wound that appears to heal can become life‑threatening if follow‑up care is ignored.

Three months earlier the man fell onto a bamboo bush, striking his neck and causing severe bleeding. After first aid he was transferred to a higher‑level hospital, where doctors performed a tracheostomy because he was in respiratory distress, and they initially decided the splinter could not be safely removed.

The patient was discharged after his condition stabilised, but he missed all scheduled follow‑up appointments for the next three months. During that time the bamboo fragment slowly migrated toward the skin, producing increasing pain, swelling, pus discharge and a return of breathing difficulties.

When he finally returned to Military Hospital 120, doctors recommended emergency surgery. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Le Thanh Mon, head of the general surgery department, led a team that extracted the nearly ten‑centimetre splinter without harming any vital neck structures such as blood vessels or the carotid artery.

Doctors urge the public not to underestimate injuries, even when wounds seem stable. They advise anyone with worsening pain, swelling, pus or breathing problems to seek medical attention promptly.