Professor Ton That Tung's invaluable teachings, as recalled by his successor.

Professor Ton That Tung was a Hero of Labor, a renowned figure in medicine, and a quintessential intellectual of the Ho Chi Minh era.

The professor always cared deeply for the younger generation of doctors, being a very strict, meticulous, and thoughtful teacher, and fair and tactful in his dealings with others.

Professor Ton That Tung often told people: "The more diligently a doctor studies, the more he can alleviate the suffering of his patients."

Professor Ton That Tung's invaluable teachings, as recalled by his successor - Part 1

In 1939, Dr. Ton That Tung successfully defended his medical thesis on the method of dividing hepatic blood vessels, also known as "dry liver surgery," and was awarded a silver medal by the University of Paris (Photo: Archival material).

The father of the dry liver surgery method always demanded that everyone work with absolute honesty and objectivity, while also pointing out shortcomings in the diagnosis and treatment of young doctors.

Thanks to inheriting and developing the values passed down by their teachers, the Vietnamese healthcare sector has successfully performed complex surgeries such as liver surgery, heart surgery, kidney transplantation, heart transplantation, liver transplantation, and endoscopic surgery…

One of Professor Ton That Tung's outstanding students was Professor Dang Hanh De, who was known as having "golden hands" in Vietnamese cardiovascular surgery.

Professor Ton That Tung's invaluable teachings, as recalled by his successor - Part 2

At the age of 89, Professor Dang Hanh De still maintains a sharp mind and good health (Photo: Hung Anh).

Dang Hanh De, a student of Professor Ton That Tung, worked closely with him from the 1960s to 1982. After a major event, Professor Tung himself handed over the scalpel to the person he trusted most.

Throughout his career, Professor Dang Hanh De was known for his calm and dedicated personality, having served as the Head of Surgery in the Cardiovascular Department at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, saving the lives of patients with "irregular heartbeats."

At 89 years old, Professor Đệ remains sharp and alert. Speaking with a reporter from Dan Tri newspaper , he spoke slowly but clearly, each word gentle and tinged with emotion as he spoke of his respected teacher.

"The teacher teaches with hard-won experience."

Professor Dang Hanh De, it has been more than half a century since you first met Professor Ton That Tung, your esteemed teacher. What about him left the deepest impression on your memory?

- When thinking about Professor Ton That Tung, he wasn't a "teacher" in the conventional sense of a blackboard, but rather someone who directly passed on his skills in the operating room.

When I first met him, the country's medical field was still lacking in specialized knowledge, with scarce resources, simple equipment, and surgery, especially heart surgery, was a completely new field in Vietnam.

Teacher Tung always set strict requirements for his students, forcing us to constantly strive for improvement. He couldn't stand those who worked half-heartedly, the kind who just show up for work in the morning and leave in the evening.

When I or my colleagues made mistakes or performed procedures incorrectly, the professor would scold us directly, even using surgical instruments to tap our hands as a warning, but no one dared to react.

I still remember an unforgettable incident during a congenital heart surgery in 1972, when blood gushed out violently, filling the patient's chest cavity and blurring everything in front of me.

The surgery ended without the patient surviving. The surgeon took off his gloves, walked out, and sat with his head bowed on the steps at the end of the operating room.

I stepped back and looked into his eyes, usually sharp and intelligent, but now they were filled with sadness. Yet, he still said to me, "Okay, from now on I won't perform heart surgeries anymore. You do it."

That moment is etched in my memory; the teacher had endured so much and realized he had reached his limit.

But he didn't withdraw his ideology or responsibility; instead, he shifted to the role of a mentor, guiding the younger generation to carry out the work that he couldn't continue alone.

From your account, Professor Ton That Tung appears to be a very strict teacher. Could you share specific details about how he taught his students and your profound feelings about this teaching style?

- When we were students, hearing about him instilled fear in us, causing young doctors and nurses to often stand outside the operating room, making it difficult for them to approach him.

It wasn't until I grew up and became a doctor that I had the real opportunity to assist my professor in surgeries. He observed very carefully, and it wasn't easy to trust him right away, but once he did, he entrusted me with even the most difficult surgeries.

Professor Ton That Tung's invaluable teachings, as recalled by his successor - Part 3

Professor Đệ recounted that in some surgeries, if an assistant made a mistake in the procedure, Professor Tùng would immediately yell loudly, even throwing surgical instruments onto the table. Even he, as a direct surgical assistant, was often sternly reprimanded by Professor Tùng for inaccurate procedures (Photo: Hùng Anh).

Many students said they feared their teacher, but no one hated him because every scolding, every outburst of anger stemmed from concerns about the lives of his patients.

The most valuable thing was that the professor didn't scold based on textbook theory; he taught with "hard-earned" experience, recounting cases of patients who had died, the tense moments on the operating table, so that his students would understand that the medical profession is a profession with a high and serious responsibility.

Thanks to that seriousness, I learned to practice my profession not only with skill but also with heart, putting people first and always prioritizing the lives of patients.

These lessons have shaped my thinking, behavior, and professional ethics throughout my life.

"When Hanoi was bombed, my teacher gave me an East German steel helmet."

For you personally, what is the most important professional legacy that Professor Ton That Tung left behind?

- Professor Tung not only brought modern techniques to Vietnam but also passed on his skills in a very practical way, not teaching through dry lesson plans but directly through actual surgical procedures.

I remember that after each session, he would take off his shirt, call us together, and meticulously analyze each step, each difficulty, and each decision he had made. These were truly lessons not found in textbooks.

One of the most important milestones that I will always remember is in 1958, when my professor performed the first heart surgeries in Vietnam after studying in India.

Techniques like open-heart surgery and valve resection for stenosis were virtually unprecedented.

In addition to heart surgery, he also researched liver surgery, hepatic vascular analysis, and developed the "planned liver resection method" (also known as the dry liver method), which helps reduce bleeding during surgery.

Thanks to those lessons and the way he passed on his skills, I and many of my colleagues were shaped by him not only in technical skills, but also in practical thinking, compassion, and a sense of responsibility towards human life.

Besides his role as a teacher in the profession, did Professor Ton That Tung also accompany and support him in his daily life?

- My family once had four people crammed into a room that was only 20 square meters.

When my child was sick, the principal, out of sympathy for our family's situation, advised me to submit an application for housing assistance. I did so and sent it to him for review.

With just a few lines of writing that he sent to the Minister, six months later, my family was allocated an apartment. He also helped my wife get a job at Viet Duc Hospital, making things more convenient for the family.

Professor Ton That Tung's invaluable teachings, as recalled by his successor - Part 4

Recalling the times Professor Ton That Tung helped and guided him, Professor Dang Hanh De couldn't hold back his tears of emotion (Photo: Hung Anh).

During the chaotic war years, when Hanoi was being bombed, my teacher gave me an East German steel helmet and told me, "Wear it when you go out; stray bullets could hit your head." I wore that helmet throughout the years of bombing.

Those experiences made me respect him not only as a medical master but also as a father figure, a teacher-student bond that transcended all professional boundaries.

"I learned from my teacher how to pass on practical skills."

During his teaching career, what professional principles did Professor Ton That Tung uphold and pass on to future generations?

- The first principle is "complete the task." When the teacher assigns a task, I must complete it thoroughly; if I accept it and do it carelessly, the teacher will immediately reject it.

This principle has instilled in me dedication, discipline, and absolute responsibility for my work, because in medicine, every mistake can cost a human life.

The next principle is that professional responsibility is intertwined with compassion.

Techniques can be learned from books, but the professional spirit—understanding the fears, circumstances, and desires of patients—must permeate every action and every decision.

I always tell my students that technique is important, but attitude, mindset, and how you treat patients are even more crucial.

Furthermore, I also learned from my teacher how to impart practical skills. He didn't just repeat the steps, but explained the logic, reasons, and scenarios for handling unexpected situations.

Each surgery became a vivid lesson, a practical experience that helped me deeply understand the spirit of the medical profession: seriousness and meticulousness.

Those principles not only helped me become a doctor, but also instilled in me character, responsibility, and compassion in my profession.

As a close student and someone who knew Professor Ton That Tung well, what aspects of his career do you see that many people haven't yet understood or recognized?

People usually only see the successful surgeries and the techniques that he brought back to Vietnam, but few know that he went through painful failures and immense pressure.

Sleepless nights, the torment of not being able to save a patient, the feeling of disappointment when all efforts are insufficient… all of these are part of the profession that outsiders rarely see.

My teacher taught me that visible success is only a part of it; the real value lies in how we face failure, learn from it, and continuously improve ourselves to heal with both skill and dedication.

Those things, for me, remain the greatest legacy that he left behind.

Thank you, Professor, for the conversation!

Photo: Hung Anh

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/loi-day-xuong-mau-cua-gs-ton-that-tung-qua-ky-uc-nguoi-hoc-tro-ke-nghiep-20251117155042138.htm