MD.CKII Tran Luong Anh: 'Do what is best for the patient'

As a rare expert proficient in both spinal and brain neurosurgery, Dr. Tran Luong Anh - Head of Neurosurgery and Spine Department, FV Hospital, has a surprising opinion: surgeons should know how to control their 'passion for surgery'.

Journey to becoming a neurosurgeon talent

Dr. Luong Anh said he chose to study pedagogy following his family's tradition, but his passion for medicine from a young age made him realize early on that teaching was not for him. He decided to change direction and take the entrance exam to the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Ho Chi Minh City .

6 years of studying medicine was a journey of going to school in the morning and working part-time in the afternoon to pay for tuition and living expenses. After graduating, he was accepted to work in the Department of Surgery of a prestigious hospital, and chose the field of neurosurgery.

"In the 2010s, the neurosurgery department where the doctor worked was relatively large, but the facilities were limited , there were few specialized surgeries, mainly treating traumatic brain injuries caused by traffic accidents. Patients were admitted to the hospital in a comatose state, covered in blood and flesh ... The initial feeling of the neurology field was not very interesting," Dr. Luong Anh recalled.

The opportunity came when he was able to work with a group of French doctors who came to transfer expertise to the hospital and carry out the surgery together. complex surgeries. "I was really attracted by the skills of French doctors: sophistication, virtuosity and class", Dr. Luong Anh recalls. Thanks to that, he found his passion for neurosurgery. His passion often kept him at the hospital until midnight and he did not hesitate to participate in urgent surgeries at 1-2 am.

In 2011, Dr. Luong Anh was sent to France for training under the French Medical Training Cooperation program. - Viet (FFI) . "I realized a lot of things ... Before that , although my surgical skills were already proficient, I was actually just a "worker". … During my internship, I learned the French way of working : the logic of the problem, interdisciplinary coordination, how to monitor the disease, and plan to ensure the integrity of each surgery," Dr. Luong Anh shared.

Upon returning to Vietnam, Dr. Luong Anh completed his specialist training course II. He is one of the few neurosurgeons proficient in both spinal and cranial surgery. Not only is he trusted by patients, he is also respected by his colleagues.

Dr. Luong Anh performs hundreds of brain and spinal surgeries each year.

When asked about the "unforgettable" surgery, Dr. Luong Anh did not talk about the times he pulled the patient back from the brink of life and death; it lingered in He is in a dilemma again: how to respect the patient's wishes?

A female patient had to have surgery for a large brain tumor with a risk of bleeding, but she refused a blood transfusion for religious reasons. Her children said that the doctor transfused blood when necessary, but kept it from her. Not wanting to lie to the patient, Dr. Luong Anh asked his colleagues in the Diagnostic Imaging Department to perform an embolization intervention first to limit the risk of bleeding. Fortunately, the surgery went smoothly, saving the patient's life without a blood transfusion.

"Surgeons need to overcome the temptation to operate"

With the rapid development in the field of medicine, there are many treatment perspectives that need to change. Dr. Luong Anh shared: as a surgeon, everyone likes to operate, but the challenge of a surgeon is to overcome the urge to solve everything through surgery.

Previously, patients with herniated discs were often prescribed surgery at the first examination. As for himself , he believes that Surgery is only for emergencies or when it is the last option, and conservative treatment is preferred first. "This is a gentle, low-risk treatment. Whatever is best for the patient, do it," Dr. Luong Anh affirmed.

Dr. Luong Anh is Head of the Department of Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery at FV.

This concept also coincides with the philosophy of putting the patient's interests first of FV Hospital , where he chose to be the next environment to work in his career journey.

"Doctors can work with selflessness and their own heart. That is what I like most at FV", Dr. Luong Anh explained why he chose to join "FV family".

Dr. Luong Anh and colleagues at FV develop the field of brain surgery to a new level

PHOTO: FV

As Head of the Department of Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery at FV, he wants to work with his colleagues to develop the field of brain surgery to a new level, especially difficult techniques such as brain tumor surgery. In addition, he also devotes himself to mentoring young doctors to become the next generation, creating opportunities to develop more talents in the field of neurosurgery. He said that although technology has developed rapidly , training the next generation of surgeons is still very important.

Dr. Luong Anh talks with interns at FV Hospital

As one of the first Vietnamese neurosurgeons to perform brain surgery using a robotic arm, he assessed that surgical robots only help surgeons with lighting, planning the surgery, and helping them access difficult-to-observe angles. "In case of an accident, we still have to use... a rice-powered robot," Dr. Luong Anh said jokingly.

Dr. Luong Anh "specializes" in treating traumatic brain and spinal injuries, brain tumors, spinal cord tumors, spinal diseases such as scoliosis, herniated discs, spondylolisthesis, spinal tuberculosis, etc. and treating functional neurological diseases such as trigeminal neuralgia, facial spasms, mixed nerve compression, hippocampectomy for epilepsy treatment, etc. He maintains an impressive work intensity: performing hundreds of brain and spinal surgeries each year.

To see Dr. Tran Luong Anh for diseases of the spine and brain, please contact the Department of Neurosurgery and Spine, FV Hospital, hotline: (028)35113333.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bsckii-tran-luong-anh-dieu-gi-tot-nhat-cho-benh-nhan-thi-lam-185250727131138911.htm