DistantNews
Support us
Doctor meets patient saved by timely emergency surgery
🇻🇳 Vietnam /Health & Science

Doctor meets patient saved by timely emergency surgery

From Tuổi Trẻ · () Vietnamese

Translated from Vietnamese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Doctors successfully performed emergency surgery on a patient in Nghệ An province, averting the need for a risky transfer to Hanoi.
  • The patient, who was in critical condition with a severe head injury, has since recovered and met with his doctors.
  • The experience highlights the critical role of timely decisions and dedicated care in saving lives, with medical staff emphasizing the importance of patient well-being.

A profound reunion between a doctor and his patient, months after a life-saving emergency surgery, underscores the delicate balance between science and the unexplainable in medicine. Dr. Lưu Quang Thùy, Head of Intensive Care Unit 2 at Việt Đức Friendship Hospital, met with a patient he had treated in May 2026, two years after the man was rescued from the brink of death.

The patient had suffered a severe head injury, indicated by a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 7-8, requiring mechanical ventilation and immediate surgery. The challenge was the immense distance from his home in Tây Bắc to Hanoi, a journey fraught with risk for someone in his critical state. Instead of transferring the patient, the medical team made the difficult decision to send a surgeon, Dr. Nguyễn Thanh Xuân, to perform the emergency operation at the provincial hospital.

Following the successful surgery to relieve a brain hematoma, the patient was transferred to Việt Đức Hospital for continued treatment. After several weeks, he was discharged, fully recovered. Reflecting on the experience, the patient shared a near-death account, describing a sense of falling into a deep abyss and being pulled out by a hand just as he reached his limit. This account deeply moved Dr. Thùy, who often hears similar stories from patients who have faced critical illness.

Dr. Thùy emphasized the importance of compassionate care, reminding his staff, "Take care of patients with your dedication because even when they are in a coma, they know how we are treating them." While acknowledging the power of science, surgery, and medication, he also recognizes that outcomes can transcend measurable data. He attributes successful recoveries to the patient's will to live, family support, and the unwavering dedication of medical professionals who refuse to give up hope.

Không hiểu sao mình linh cảm trên đường về Hà Nội, mình thấy trời đất tối đen, sương mù dày đặc và hình dung mình đang đi về phía có ánh sáng ở xa. Rồi khi hôn mê nằm hồi sức, mình có cảm giác như đang rơi xuống một cái hố rất sâu, cố vùng vẫy, cố bơi để thoát ra. Đúng lúc kiệt sức nhất, có một bàn tay đưa xuống kéo mình lên...

— The patientThe patient's description of his near-death experience during his recovery.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tuổi Trẻ in Vietnamese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog