Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy: To succeed, passion alone is not enough.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy, Deputy Head of the Head and Neck Surgery Department (K Hospital), has been honored to be one of the 10 Outstanding Young Vietnamese in 2023 in the field of Scientific Research and Innovation.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy (born in 1989, from Chau Khe, Tu Son, Bac Ninh) has made numerous achievements and significant contributions to healthcare in the treatment of thyroid diseases. His first report in Southeast Asia on the successful implementation of robotic thyroidectomy via the oral vestibule in the treatment of thyroid cancer marks a milestone in the development of surgery in general, and thyroid surgery in particular, in Vietnam.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy, Deputy Head of the Head and Neck Surgery Department (K Hospital). Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

I chose medicine because I want to help many people.

Upon visiting Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy's personal page, the reporter was somewhat surprised to find that Dr. Duy publicly shared his phone number. Dr. Duy stated that he answers calls from people concerned about thyroid issues. Due to his busy schedule, if he can't answer, he will call back later. "I feel very happy to be able to help people," Dr. Duy shared. However, Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy doesn't want to talk much about himself. He said he still has a lot to strive for.

In a conversation with Knowledge and Life about his path to the medical field and his research on the application of thyroid cancer treatment, Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy shared that since childhood, he has enjoyed helping people. Seeing that the medical field suited him, he chose to become a doctor, as if by "destiny."

After graduating from Ly Thai To High School (Tu Son, Bac Ninh), Duy applied to Hanoi Medical University. In 2013, after graduating with honors from Hanoi Medical University with a Bachelor of Medicine degree in General Medicine, Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy continued his residency training in Oncology. In 2016, after 9 years of medical school, Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy officially started working at K Hospital.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy recognizes that medicine is constantly evolving and making increasing progress in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in general, and cancer in particular. Researching and updating new diagnostic methods and treatment techniques to improve survival time and enhance the quality of life for cancer patients is absolutely essential.

"Understanding that, I consider the path of scientific research as my guiding principle so that I can have the opportunity to help more patients recover from their illnesses," shared Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy performs surgery on a cancer patient. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy's research focuses on applying new techniques in the treatment of head and neck cancers, especially thyroid cancer. This is a common cancer, ranking 10th among all cancers.

In the treatment of thyroid cancer, surgery plays the most important role, and open surgery is the classic treatment method. However, this method often leaves a scar on the front of the neck, affecting aesthetics. Furthermore, the disease is more common in women and is increasingly affecting younger people.

This is why Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy participates in many studies on the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer, and especially in the application and development of new techniques in thyroid surgery, which not only helps increase survival time but also achieves high aesthetic results.

Most memorable moment

Through his persistent efforts, Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy has made many important contributions to applied research and the development of new techniques in thyroid surgery.

In 2018, after a period of research with his mentors, Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy began implementing endoscopic thyroidectomy via the oral vestibule in Vietnam. This method has many advantages over other thyroid surgery methods.

Dr. Duy also successfully applied this technique to pediatric patients, achieving the largest number of successful surgeries at a single medical facility as reported in the literature. This research has opened a new chapter in the treatment of thyroid disease in children. The results were published in an international Q1 journal with an IF of 5.2 and presented at prestigious international conferences such as the 7th World Head and Neck Cancer Congress in Italy in June 2023, receiving high praise from experts.

Acting President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Youth Union Bui Quang Huy presented a symbolic trophy and certificate of merit to Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy at the Ceremony honoring 10 outstanding young Vietnamese people in 2023.

Furthermore, Dr. Duy has also applied this approach in lateral cervical lymph node dissection for the treatment of thyroid cancer, which has initially been recognized by international experts. This is evidenced by being selected as one of the 10 best techniques at the US International Society of Surgical Oncology (SSO) 2021 and being published in a prestigious international Q1 journal with an IF of 3.7.

In particular, Dr. Duy has successfully applied robotic thyroidectomy via the oral vestibule in the treatment of thyroid cancer. This result has been published in an international Q1 journal and is the first report in Southeast Asia to successfully implement robotic thyroidectomy via the oral vestibule in the treatment of thyroid cancer. This marks a milestone in the development of surgery in general, and thyroid surgery in particular, in Vietnam.

For Dr. Duy, fulfilling his wish to help people brings him the greatest happiness, which is also the joy of his patients and their families.

“I will always remember the smiles of a 15-year-old patient and her mother when she successfully underwent thyroid cancer surgery using the endoscopic transoral thyroidectomy technique at the Head and Neck Surgery Department, K Hospital. Her disease was in a very early stage, with a very high chance of recovery, and she was especially happy to have no scars on her neck,” Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy said emotionally.

Working with passion is a process of enjoyment.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy shared that he has encountered many difficulties in medical research, especially in the clinical field. Research is often conducted on patients, so ensuring ethical conduct in medical research is crucial and sometimes challenging. However, with the goal of discovering new diagnostic and treatment methods, and new surgical techniques to achieve the highest treatment effectiveness, he always strives his best and perseveres in pursuing his passion to achieve the best research results.

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy (center) receives the 2023 Golden Globe Award. Photo: TD.

Dr. Duy's favorite motto is: "If passion is the road to success, then perseverance is the vehicle that takes you there." For Dr. Duy , passion is crucial. Without passion, we are more likely to give up. Working with passion means we are enjoying the work, not just toiling. However, passion alone is not enough.

"Having passion but lacking perseverance makes success difficult. This is especially true in scientific research, which is fraught with challenges and hardships," shared Dr. Duy.

At the age of 35, Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy has published 62 scientific articles, including 29 in prestigious international journals: 13 in Q1 journals (all as the main author), 3 in Q2 journals (all as the main author), 4 in Q3 journals (3 as the main author), and 9 in Scopus journals (5 as the main author).

Dr. Ngo Quoc Duy has received the 2023 Golden Globe Award for Science and Technology. Prior to this, he was awarded: the Creative Youth Badge; the Advanced Youth Badge following President Ho Chi Minh's teachings; the Excellence Award at the 21st Conference on Science and Technology for Young Medical Professionals; the Dang Van Ngu Award for Outstanding Young Researcher in 2022 from Hanoi Medical University; and a global scholarship for head and neck cancer surgery and oncology from the World Head and Neck Cancer Association in 2022.

Source: https://kienthuc.net.vn/kho-tri-thuc/tsbs-ngo-quoc-duy-de-thanh-cong-dam-me-thoi-chua-du-1973984.html