Vietnam performs first awake brain surgery

Hanoi’s Vietnam - Germany Friendship Hospital has marked a new miracle in the field of neurosurgery, as it successfully performed the first awake brain surgery in Vietnam. It was performed on patient with a brain tumor under the assistance of two Japanese experts.

Hanoi-based Vietnam - Germany Friendship Hospital has successfully performed the first awake brain surgery in Vietnam.
Hanoi-based Vietnam - Germany Friendship Hospital has successfully performed the first awake brain surgery in Vietnam.

Associate Professor, Dr. Dong Van He, Deputy Director of the hospital cum Head of its Neurosurgery Centre, said that this method has been applied for a long time by developed countries around the world, but it is the first time Vietnam has implemented this technique.

The patient is a 36-year-old Hanoian with glioma syndrome. When conducting surgery, the patient was still awake and talked normally with the doctors. "In particular, during the operation, the patient also sang the national anthem with a very relaxed mood to forget the operating time", Dr. He informed.

Talking about the preeminence of the method, He said, the surgery to remove 6cm brain tumor of the patient lasted from 10 am to 4 pm. During the awake operation, the surgical staff was capable of knowing which area was the patient's sensitive zone through communication to avoid invading functional areas that may cause injuries.

In particular, the awake surgery helps minimise the sequelae for patients during surgery, such as paralysis, movement dysfunction and language disorder. After the surgery, the patient was fully alert and was discharged from hospital after about a week. It is worth noting that the surgical cost is not higher than the classic method, He added.

To prepare for the special operation, right from the beginning of 2018, experts from the hospital’s Neurosurgery Centre contacted Japanese experts to set up plan, undergo training and find appropriate patients.

Recently, the centre has brought five operating rooms into operation, with modern equipment meeting the world standards. It has been recognised as a member of the Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons, after the association surveyed the centre recently.