20-year-old man cut off his penis due to auditory hallucinations

Doctors from the Department of Andrology and Gender Medicine (Hanoi Medical University Hospital) have just performed emergency surgery on a 20-year-old man with penile injuries. The patient’s family said the injuries were caused by the patient cutting his penis with scissors.

Doctors at Hanoi Medical University Hospital performed penis preservation surgery for a male patient.

The patient had a history of psychomotor retardation, had finished 9th grade, and was working as an aluminum and glass worker. About 3 years ago, this patient often showed signs of irritability, vandalism, and quarreling; sometimes he was sullen and quiet. At that time, the patient was taken by his family to a psychiatric hospital for examination and treatment with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Although he was receiving outpatient treatment, this young man often had self-harming behaviors, jumping into water whenever he saw it, regardless of whether it was a pond, lake, river, stream or just a puddle left after a rain. There were days when his family had to pull him out of the pond 5-7 times. This was the first time the patient had used a knife or scissors to harm himself.

Associate Professor - Dr. Nguyen Hoai Bac, Head of the Department of Andrology and Gender Medicine, said that upon receiving the patient, doctors performed surgery to treat the wound and preserve the young man's penis, after consulting with a psychiatrist.

During post-operative care, the patient is always given special attention to avoid self-harm. After surgery, the patient is transferred to a psychiatric hospital for further monitoring and treatment.

Hallucination-driven self-harm

According to the Head of the Department of Andrology and Gender Medicine, schizophrenia is a severe, chronic psychotic disorder in which patients gradually become detached from real life. Suicidal or self-harming behavior in schizophrenic patients is influenced by delusions and hallucinations.

In the case of the male patient mentioned above, through clinical assessment, doctors discovered that the patient's act of self-mutilation was due to auditory hallucinations (the patient heard one or more voices urging the behavior).

Medical literature in Vietnam and around the world has also recorded many cases of penis amputation similar to the above patient. This type of injury leaves serious consequences for the patient and greatly affects the quality of life.

According to the Institute of Mental Health (Bach Mai Hospital), schizophrenia is treated with pharmacological therapies, possibly combined with psychotherapy and brain modulation. Hospitalization may be required if the patient has severe symptoms, especially agitation or suicidal thoughts.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/nam-thanh-nien-20-tuoi-tu-cat-duong-vat-do-ao-thanh-185231007115659759.htm