Doctors at K Hospital perform surgery on a child patient - Photo: BVCC
According to K Hospital, this is a major step forward in limb preservation treatment for children with bone cancer in Vietnam, opening up new hope for many children with serious illnesses.
Most had to amputate.
Patient KPM (10 years old, from Dien Bien , Ha Nhi ethnic group) was hospitalized with prolonged pain and swelling in the left thigh, making it difficult to walk.
Clinical examination and imaging tests, biopsy results determined that the patient had osteosarcoma of the distal end of the right femur, a malignant bone cancer commonly found in adolescents.
If not treated and intervened promptly, the patient may encounter many obstacles in walking and life later on.
After multidisciplinary consultation, the patient was prescribed neoadjuvant chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery and 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery according to the MAP regimen. Post-treatment evaluation showed that the tumor was localized and reduced in size.
Usually with bone cancer in children, especially near the knee joint, the risk of affecting limb development is very high. Previously, most cases would be indicated for amputation to ensure radical treatment.
However, with the development of surgical techniques and artificial joint technology, limb preservation treatment by artificial knee replacement has become a viable option.
However, the patient is 10 years old, has a lot of time to grow and has the ability to develop height, if only replacing the artificial joint normally, it will certainly affect the ability to develop the length of the left femur.
This also causes the left leg to be shorter than the right leg in the future, significantly affecting the patient's motor function as well as aesthetics and quality of life later on.
4 hours to "save" a child's leg
After careful evaluation, the surgical team decided to perform a growth-inducing artificial knee replacement, helping the patient not only preserve his limb but also maintain normal development of his right leg in the following years.
This is a specially designed artificial joint that allows patients to adjust the length of their left leg to match the growth of their right leg with just a small surgery.
Doctors have ordered artificial joints to be shipped from abroad to Vietnam to ensure the best fit for the patient, individualizing treatment for each patient.
The surgery lasted 4 hours, including cutting the damaged femur up to 16cm long, preserving as much healthy tissue as possible and placing the knee growth joint. Notably, the growth joint uses the external mechanical principle (external magnetic drive) allowing for future lengthening through small, minimally invasive surgeries.
After surgery, the patient was cared for in the intensive care unit and had an X-ray taken to check the artificial joint system was in the correct position and physical therapy was performed immediately after surgery.
Currently, one week after surgery, the patient is recovering well, the surgical wound is healing well, there are no complications of bleeding or infection, the patient can stand up and walk gently.
The patient will continue to undergo rehabilitation exercises to ensure a return to normal life. In the future, the patient will undergo surgery to adjust the length of the artificial joint to match the growth length of the right leg.
The entire cost of surgery is paid by the hospital's specialists in coordination with the patient's family and benefactors.
Doctor Hoang Tuan Anh, head of the hospital's musculoskeletal surgery department, shared that this is the first time growth knee replacement has been performed for children at K Hospital.
"The surgery not only opens up the opportunity for comprehensive recovery for the child, but also marks a step forward in limb-preserving bone cancer treatment in Vietnam. The most important thing is to preserve the function and future development of the children," he said.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thay-khop-goi-dac-biet-cho-benh-nhi-ung-thu-xuong-bao-ton-chan-lanh-lan-20250801164206068.htm
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