Artist Tan Beo escapes dialysis

Doctors at Tam Anh General Hospital created a personalized treatment plan to preserve kidney function, helping artist Tan Beo, 59 years old, avoid dialysis when he is suffering from stage 4 kidney failure.

The family said that more than a year ago, artist Tan Beo had a stroke and was rushed to the emergency room. After that, he suffered from sequelae and was also diagnosed with stage 5 kidney failure (end stage). He underwent dialysis at a hospital and had bypass surgery to prepare for long-term regular dialysis. At this time, the kidney failure returned to stage 4.

"This is the result of the habit of eating salty foods, pickled foods, rotten eggs, fish sauce, and drinking beer late at night," artist Tan Beo shared.

In March 2025, he went to Tam Anh General Clinic in District 7, Ho Chi Minh City for examination and registered for regular dialysis. Specialist Doctor Do Thi Hang, Head of the Nephrology - Dialysis Unit, said that the artist had many underlying diseases, these diseases not only cause harm independently but also interact, aggravate each other, accelerate the rate of kidney function decline and increase the risk of serious complications.

Doctor Hang re-examines artist Tan Beo

Photo: BVCC

Doctor Hang explained that artist Tan Beo had chronic kidney disease before but it was not detected. Then, the stroke, along with other risk factors, sent the kidney into a severe acute renal failure, causing its function to suddenly decline to stage 5.

Artist Tan Beo was given a personalized treatment plan to preserve kidney function to improve overall health and delay dialysis for as long as possible. The doctor prescribed him medication to lower blood pressure to the target level, below 140/90mmHg, adjust blood sugar HbA1c to below 7% and blood fat LDL-C below 1.8mmol/L. All medications are safe for the kidneys but still control underlying diseases well, avoiding the risk of a second stroke.

After 3 months, artist Tan Beo's glomerular filtration rate improved from 24 mL/min/1.73 m ² ( stage 5) to 31 mL/min/1.73 m ² ( stage 3B). The patient was freed from regular dialysis, only maintaining regular check-ups once a month .

At the end of October 2025, artist Tan Beo came for a check-up. At this time , he was able to eat normally, walk and talk fluently . The artist said that after 2 years of fighting the disease, he was planning to return to the stage, but walking was still difficult due to the after-effects of the stroke. Doctor Hang advised physical therapy to improve movement, blood circulation...

Every month, we receive about 1,500 - 1,700 kidney patients for examination.

Every month, the Tam Anh General Hospital system in Ho Chi Minh City receives about 1,500-1,700 kidney patients for examination, of which nearly 50% have chronic kidney failure. Individualized treatment regimens have helped many patients escape dialysis.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a condition in which the kidneys are damaged and lose function gradually over time, lasting more than 3 months. Damaged kidneys will not be able to filter blood effectively, causing waste and excess fluid to accumulate in the body, causing many health problems. The cause of the disease is often diabetes, high blood pressure, glomerulonephritis, polycystic kidney disease, urinary tract obstruction, etc.

The disease is divided into 5 stages based on the glomerular filtration rate, which is an index measuring the kidney's ability to filter blood. In which, stage 4 is a condition of severe kidney function decline, with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) from 15 - 29 ml/min. Patients may experience symptoms such as fatigue, edema, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, high blood pressure and anemia. In stage 3B, the kidneys are moderately damaged, with moderate to severe function.

If left uncontrolled, CKD can lead to many serious complications such as anemia, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, malnutrition, reduced immunity, etc. When the kidneys lose most of their function, dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed to sustain life.

According to Dr. Hang, people who have to undergo dialysis, whether it is hemodialysis (blood filtration through a machine) or peritoneal dialysis (blood filtration through the abdominal cavity), face many physical, psychological, social and financial difficulties. In addition to health problems, they have to live with the machine for the rest of their lives, spending 3-4 hours/time, 3 times/week to go to the hospital or dialysis center, wasting time and disrupting all other activities.

Dr. Hang recommends that to prevent kidney failure, it is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle including drinking enough water, having a scientific diet, limiting salt and alcohol, exercising regularly, maintaining a reasonable weight, not smoking, and controlling blood pressure and blood sugar. At the same time, regular health check-ups are needed to detect early signs of abnormalities.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghe-si-tan-beo-thoat-canh-chay-than-185251104211845344.htm