Girl 'transformed' after 3 facial reconstruction surgeries

Hanoi Lying in the operating room, Anh Thu, 22 years old, clearly heard the sound of knives and felt the pain of being stabbed by needles. Her whole body trembled with fear.

This was the second surgery in Huynh Le Anh Thu's journey to reconstruct her face in July 2022. The doctor only used anesthesia to graft fat from her lips, so Thu could feel the entire surgery. She could only close her eyes, clasp her hands together, and breathe deeply. The smell of disinfectant, anesthetic, and the clanking sound of knives made Thu even more anxious.

Before the surgery, the doctor assessed her case as difficult and would require multiple reconstructions. But the desire to have a normal face gave her strength.

Anh Thu is currently a graduate student at Can Tho University. She was unfortunately born with a cleft lip and cleft palate when she was still a fetus. When she was in secondary school, Thu realized that she was different when her friends constantly teased her, even threw paper, chalk, gossiped about her, pointed at her... every time she went to school.

One time, in a biology class, there was a picture of a child with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Thu suddenly turned pale, her hands and feet were cold, and she fainted in the classroom because she thought of herself. For her, her school years were the saddest time, but Thu did not share it with her family, she just kept it to herself.

Image of Thu before surgery. Photo: Provided by the character

In college, Thu learned about aesthetics and wanted to have surgery to have a normal face. She was introduced to Dr. Pham Thi Viet Dung, Head of the Department of Plastic Surgery - Hanoi Medical University. Gathering all her courage, Thu texted the doctor, explaining her difficulties.

"I will help" was the message from Dr. Dung, giving Thu the strength to fly to Hanoi. On January 17, 2021, Thu went to the hospital for the doctor to assess her condition. According to Ms. Dung, Thu's case was a difficult plastic surgery, the patient had a cleft lip, maxillary hypoplasia and mandibular hyperplasia, so the entire nose and jaw could not be operated on at once. The doctor prescribed jaw surgery first, then lip fat grafting and rib cartilage rhinoplasty. However, due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, her surgery was delayed.

In August 2022, Thu went to Hanoi to have jaw surgery. For the first time in the operating room, the girl was encouraged and supported mentally by the doctors. The surgery lasted 8 hours, the results "exceeded expectations". Looking at herself in the mirror, Thu saw that her mouth was less crooked, but her health was weak so she had to stay in the postoperative period for a long time. In addition, the patient had to have her jaw fixed so she could not open her mouth, had to puree food and use a straw to suck.

Two months later, Thu went to Hanoi for lip fat grafting surgery, which was also the most unforgettable surgery. Because she was only under anesthesia, she could still feel the entire process. The image of doctors and nurses walking around, the clanking of knives, and the surgical light shining directly on her face made her uneasy.

"I still can't believe I've become so strong," Thu said.

After two surgeries, Thu gradually became more confident and smiled more. However, she needed more time to recover and complete her graduation exam, so she postponed the third surgery for a year. In July 2023, Thu was ready for rib cartilage rhinoplasty. "The surgery was performed under anesthesia, so I wasn't too worried, just a little sore when I woke up," Thu shared.

After 5 days of removing the bandage, Thu saw the bridge of her nose rise, the angle of her nose was more stable. Looking at herself in the mirror, she smiled, saying this was a miracle, opening a new chapter of her life.

Current image of Thu after undergoing three surgeries. Photo: Character provided

According to Dr. Dung, this result is the result of the patient's constant efforts to improve himself, "and doctors are just a grain of sand in this journey of change."

Currently, Thu continues her graduate studies while teaching. For Thu, every time she stands on the podium is an opportunity to inspire others.

"If you can't change your situation, try to change your way of thinking," she said.

Anh Thu and Dr. Dung. Photo: Provided by the character

Every day, an average of 550 children are born with birth defects in the world . In Vietnam, an average of 3,000 children are born with birth defects each year. Of these, cleft lip and cleft palate are the most common birth defects occurring in the face and mouth.

The cause of this defect may be that the pregnant mother used the wrong medicine in the early stages of pregnancy, was exposed to toxic chemicals, was exposed to X-rays or viruses, or had the flu. The mother was stressed during pregnancy, had poor living conditions, or was malnourished during pregnancy, which can cause the child to have a cleft lip or palate. Genetic factors or parents giving birth at an older age are also causes of this defect. Therefore, timely and technically correct surgery helps children restore their sucking, chewing and biting functions, improve their appearance, and facilitate their pronunciation later on.

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