Vinh General Hospital successfully performed endoscopic lung lobectomy, helping a woman 'escape' a fatal disease

Ms. Nguyen Thi T., 58 years old, had chest pain and weight loss, so she went to the doctor and found a tumor in the middle lobe of her right lung. The patient had a biopsy of the tumor and the result was adenocarcinoma. After examining other organs such as the liver, brain, bones... the doctors concluded that the tumor was in stage I in terms of oncology.

Doctors at the General Hospital indicated that endoscopic right lobectomy and mediastinal lymph node dissection were the best options for the patient.

The surgery was performed by a surgical team including Master, Doctor Nguyen Dinh Giang - Deputy Head of General Surgery Department; Doctor Nguyen Thanh Hung, Doctor Dau Thien Hoang - General Surgery Department, Vinh General Hospital. With the active cooperation and support of the entire team, the surgery was successful after 2 hours.

After 3 days, the patient's pleural drainage was removed and his health was stable.

In the case of patient Nguyen Thi T, 1 month after surgery, she will return for a check-up at the oncology hospital and the doctors will plan for post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy if indicated.

Previously, to perform a lobectomy, it was necessary to open the chest with a 15cm long incision and wide rib retraction, so patients often lost a lot of blood and suffered painful post-operative injuries. In some cases, patients had persistent pain from the chest incision, which reduced their quality of life.

With the assisted endoscopic surgery technique, the incision will be shortened (the longest is only 4 - 5cm), without rib dissection, so after surgery the patient has very little pain, recovers quickly, and can return to normal activities soon. In cases where the patient needs adjuvant chemotherapy, it can be performed 1 month after surgery.

Laparoscopic lobectomy is a difficult technique because the dissection of blood vessels and bronchi in a narrow surgical field is quite complicated. In the past, this technique was only applied in large central hospitals and some provincial hospitals nationwide.

The routine implementation of endoscopic lung lobectomy, endoscopic mediastinal tumor resection... is a testament to the growth in expertise, synchronization of medical equipment and the trust of the people in Vinh City General Hospital.

“To make great strides in expertise, the Hospital focuses on training a team of highly qualified and experienced thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons, along with investing in modern machinery and equipment to effectively serve the work. In the coming time, the Hospital will continue to promote the implementation of endoscopic surgery techniques for thoracic and mediastinal diseases, and minimally invasive vascular interventions; in order to bring maximum benefits to patients” –MSc.BSNT. Nguyen Dinh Giang, Deputy Head of General Surgery Department confirmed.