On October 11th, a scientific conference on the topic "Minimally Invasive Surgery for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy in the New Era" was held at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City. The event attracted over 100 experts, surgeons, and doctors from the fields of neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, neurophysiology, and anesthesiology.
Dr. Truong Thanh Tinh, Head of the Neurosurgery Department at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, delivered a speech at the conference.
Photo: BVCC
In his opening remarks, Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Minh Anh, Deputy Director of the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that drug-resistant epilepsy is one of the major challenges facing medicine today, seriously affecting the health and quality of life of patients. While medical treatment remains the foundation, a significant percentage of patients still do not respond to medication and require surgical intervention. This conference was organized with the goal of creating a forum for medical professionals to review current practices, update the latest advances, and standardize modern, minimally invasive, safe, and effective surgical solutions, aiming to bring better lives to patients.
In the professional reports, many important issues were discussed, from optimizing medical treatment and updating traditional epilepsy surgery techniques to introducing advances in minimally invasive surgery. One of the highlights of the conference was vagal nerve modulation (VNS), a method using an implant to electrically stimulate the vagus nerve, thereby regulating brain activity and reducing the frequency and severity of seizures. This is considered a promising direction for drug-resistant epilepsy, as the procedure is highly safe, minimally invasive, has a fast recovery time, and, importantly, can be extended to a wider range of patients.
At the conference, the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City successfully performed the first vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation surgery in Vietnam on a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy. The patient was a 17-year-old male with epilepsy that had been present for 15 years. Despite medical treatment and surgery, epileptic symptoms continued to occur 5-10 times a day. At the conference, the surgery was demonstrated live using the minimally invasive VNS method with a small incision and minimal blood loss. Delegates were able to visually observe the entire technical process, from preparation and anesthesia to surgery and device installation.
The University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City successfully performed the first vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implantation surgery in Vietnam on a patient with drug-resistant epilepsy.
Photo: BVCC
Dr. Truong Thanh Tinh, Head of the Neurosurgery Department at the University Medical Center of Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that the event not only marks an important step forward in epilepsy treatment in Vietnam but also opens up a long-term development direction for the field of neurosurgery in the country.
Besides its outstanding advantages, experts also pointed out the challenges in the widespread implementation of the technique, from treatment costs to equipment and personnel requirements. However, this conference has opened up opportunities for medical facilities to strengthen cooperation, training, and technology transfer, helping patients at various levels to access this modern method.
According to Dr. Truong Thanh Tinh, in the next 5-10 years, the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy will witness strong development thanks to the combination of minimally invasive surgery with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and next-generation neurological devices, opening up a more comprehensive era of treatment for patients.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/phau-thuat-cay-thiet-bi-kich-thich-day-than-kinh-phe-vi-dau-tien-tai-viet-nam-185251011204033348.htm
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