Developing specialized medical services and high-quality medical services

During the 2020-2025 term, the Quang Ninh Health sector continues to make great strides in developing advanced and specialized techniques, providing effective treatment opportunities for many patients right in the province, reducing the rate of having to transfer to central hospitals. Not only mastering many difficult techniques that are only implemented in large hospitals, the team of doctors is also a pioneer in applying modern technology, creating solid trust among the people.

Báo Quảng Ninh•01/09/2025

Kidney transplant for patient at Vietnam-Sweden Uong Bi Hospital.

On April 8, 2025, kidney transplantation was performed for the first time in Quang Ninh. With the support of experts from Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, more than 200 doctors from the Provincial General Hospital and Vietnam - Sweden - Uong Bi Hospital simultaneously performed kidney transplants for 2 patients with kidney failure in the province. To date, 6 patients have received successful kidney transplants in the locality. The revival of life for patients with end-stage chronic kidney failure is not only a great step forward in expertise, but also the result of a systematic and synchronous investment strategy of the Quang Ninh Health sector on the journey to conquer specialized techniques, bringing the pinnacle of medicine closer to local people.

Not only in the field of organ transplantation, at the Provincial General Hospital, neurosurgeons have successfully treated many complicated brain tumor cases thanks to mastering microsurgery techniques combined with modern neurological warning systems during surgery. A typical case is the case of patient TXM (51 years old, Dam Ha commune) admitted to the hospital with symptoms of severe headache and facial pain. MRI scan results detected a large cerebellopontine angle meningioma, compressing many important nerves. With the support of a microsurgery microscope, doctors successfully removed the tumor, preserving the neurovascular structure.

In another case, patient THN (35 years old, Cam Pha ward) had a tumor of the eighth cranial nerve compressing the brainstem, causing headaches, dizziness, and difficulty walking. The surgical team removed the entire tumor through a microsurgery microscope, and at the same time applied a neural warning system during surgery to preserve the cranial nerves as much as possible.

Master, Doctor Tran Ba Tuan, Department of Neurosurgery - Spine, shared: To perform safe tumor removal surgery, in addition to using microsurgical glasses, we also apply the most advanced intraoperative nerve warning system today, helping surgeons accurately determine the location of cranial nerves during surgery. This device operates based on the principle of high-sensitivity electrical conduction. When the surgical operation approaches or touches the nerve, the system will send feedback signals at multiple levels in real time, thereby helping doctors determine the location of cranial nerves, preserve anatomical structures, minimize complications and shorten surgery time.

Microsurgical team removed a tumor of the right cranial nerve number 8 compressing the brainstem and cerebellum using a modern neurological warning system at the Provincial General Hospital.

At Bai Chay Hospital, doctors of Oncology Department 1 have just successfully performed a thoracic endoscopic surgery to remove the esophagus and create a gastric tube for patient Doan Van Th. (57 years old, Van Don Special Zone) diagnosed with invasive squamous cell carcinoma stage II. The team of Dr. Nguyen Van Dung (Head of Oncology Department 1) performed the surgery through three approaches: chest, abdomen and neck; in which the chest approach was performed entirely by endoscopy. The surgery went smoothly, after 2 weeks of intensive care, the patient's health stabilized and he was discharged from the hospital.

Dr. Hoang Van Chai (Department of Oncology 1, Bai Chay Hospital) shared: “Compared to conventional open surgery, endoscopic esophagectomy is less invasive but still ensures complete tumor removal and effective lymph node dissection, especially in early stage patients. Patients do not have to open their chest, so pain is significantly reduced, respiratory complications and blood loss are limited, while shortening hospital stay, faster recovery and reducing treatment costs. However, the technique of esophageal reconstruction using a gastric tube is very complicated, determining the quality of life after surgery. Therefore, the surgeon needs a lot of experience, a good grasp of anatomy, meticulous and skillful manipulation to avoid complications. This is a difficult surgery, with a long dissection time, requiring close coordination between the oncology, anesthesia and intensive care specialties for the surgery to take place safely and smoothly.”

Doctor Hoang Van Chai (Oncology Department 1, Bai Chay Hospital) examines a patient after surgery.

In the past, complicated cases such as kidney transplants, brain tumors, esophageal cancer, etc. were often transferred to the central level, but now with the strong development of the team of doctors and the system of modern equipment, many advanced techniques have been deployed right in Quang Ninh . This not only helps patients receive timely treatment, reduces the burden of travel and costs, but also affirms the steady progress of the province's health care in mastering difficult and specialized techniques.

Currently, Quang Ninh has 3 specialized hospitals: Provincial General Hospital, Bai Chay Hospital and Vietnam-Sweden Uong Bi Hospital. In recent years, the province's 3 specialized hospitals have always received attention for investment in upgrading facilities, modern and synchronous equipment and developing high-quality human resources. These are important resources for pioneering units to apply new technology to make breakthroughs with a series of advanced and specialized techniques in examination and treatment that have been successfully performed. Outstanding techniques include open heart surgery, stenting of aortic aneurysms, treatment of arrhythmias with radiofrequency waves, treatment of venous insufficiency with endovascular laser, endoscopic surgery for disc herniation, surgery for nerve root tumors, brain tumors, surgery for anterior hepatic lobectomy, esophagectomy and esophageal reconstruction through the abdomen, chest, neck, etc.

In the 5 years (2020-2025), the medical team of the whole sector has made efforts to research, innovate, and successfully implement 13 provincial-level science and technology tasks and over 2,000 grassroots-level science and technology tasks, and 3 projects have been listed in the Vietnam Golden Book of Innovation. The Quang Ninh Health Sector has now mastered nearly 50% of the techniques of the central level, helping people enjoy specialized services right in the province, saving costs. This also contributes to significantly reducing the patient referral rate, to only 3.57% by the end of 2024, among the lowest in the country.

Director of the Department of Health Nguyen Trong Dien emphasized: The Quang Ninh Health Sector will continue to invest in developing advanced, specialized techniques right in the locality; improve the level of 3 key centers in cardiovascular, oncology, reproductive support, and expand other specialized fields. Along with that, it is necessary to train and attract high-quality human resources, cooperate with countries with modern medicine such as the UK, France, the US, Singapore, Japan, Korea, China, etc. to bring people the opportunity to access advanced medical services right in the province. The sector also aims to upgrade the synchronous, modern health system, with the capacity to control emerging and re-emerging diseases, aiming to build Quang Ninh into a specialized medical center of the Northeast region.

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