No stranger to life and death moments, Dr Luong Ngoc Trung a surgeon at FV’s Vascular Surgery Department, understands that doctors need to continuously learn and improve their skills in order to treat and save more patients.

We visited Dr Ngoc Trung at the outpatient clinic, FV Hospital, when he had just finished examining his last case of the day. With a gentle, humble smile, he shared his passion for the medical profession and commitment to constantly learning about the latest developments in his field so that he can continue to apply modern techniques to offer the best possible patient care and treatment outcomes.

Dr Luong Ngoc Trung invests time in researching how to apply new treatment techniques to offer effective patient care

Constantly triumphing over challenges

After graduating as a doctor from the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy in 2001, Luong Ngoc Trung continued his education by earning a master of medicine and completing a residency in general surgery, specialising in cardiovascular and thorax surgery at this university. Dr Trung seized every opportunity to study further, securing certificates and diplomas via many domestic and foreign fellowships: Aortic and Peripheral Endovascular Intervention from The Prince of Songkla University of Medicine (Thailand); Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Paul-Sabatier University of Medicine, Toulouse (France); Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI); Cardiovascular Surgery and Endovascular Intervention from Pierre and Marie Curie University of Medicine (Paris 6).

Choosing to pursue a career in vascular surgery, Dr Trung was resolved to work in those stressful moments when patients are on the brink of death, and devoted himself to constantly improving his skills to be able to triumph over even the most challenging cases. In 2014, Dr Trung received a Certificate of Thoracic Laparoscopic Surgery at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, before completing a CME of Endovascular Repair for Aorto-iliac Aneurysm (EVAR) course at Cho Ray Hospital.

In 2017, while working as a senior consultant at FV Hospital’s Vascular Surgery Department, Dr Trung completed multiple programmes in advanced vascular surgical techniques with next-generation equipment to continue to provide the most effective patient care possible.

This investment in his knowledge and skills has enabled Dr Trung to perform many difficult surgeries and save the lives of many patients. When a 62-year-old patient from Can Tho visited FV in 2018 with an 83 millimetre aortic aneurysm in their chest, a rare and extremely dangerous situation that could result in death at any moment, Dr Trung provided successful treatment via endoscopic stent graft, helping the patient to recover incredibly quickly.

In 2019, he and the team also successfully saved the life of a French man with a very dangerous type B thoracic aortic dissection. Doctor Trung inserted a stent graft via endovascular intervention during a successful 2.5-hour operation.

I want patients to be treated promptly

Dr Ngoc Trung explains that vascular diseases are among the most common causes of death and disability. Drawing on 17 years of experience in vascular surgery, Dr Ngoc Trung says the success of a treatment depends greatly on whether the patient has received timely examination and diagnosis.

“There are many cases where symptoms appear but are ignored because the patient think there is no real problem. However, when vascular disease reaches an acute stage and becomes severe, the effectiveness of treatment is significantly reduced, leading to life-long disease and the risk of death at any time,” adds Dr Trung.“My advice to patients: don’t wait until your disease worsens to the point that it can’t be adequately addressed.”

Dr Trung shares evidence of a disease that’s become more commonplace after the Covid-19 pandemic: deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the veins). Venous thromboembolism is a common, dangerous disease, and medical care needs to be sought within two weeks of the first symptom, such as swelling in one leg. Dr Trung is regretful that patients do not fully understand the severity of this disease. Many patients who experience foot swelling or oedema, swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in the body’s tissues, think this is normal and don’t seek care. This leads to increased risk of post-thrombotic events, which are more difficult to treat and easily lead to eczema and skin ulcers. As a result, patients may have to live with their disease indefinitely, seriously affecting their quality of life.

Dr Luong Ngoc Trung examines a patient after surgery 

Dr Trung has spearheaded the application of new techniques to treat venous thromboembolism treatment at FV. FV Hospital is currently applying mechanical endovascular thrombectomy with the Penumbra Indigo system (imported from the US), combined with fibrinolytic medication under the guidance of an X-ray machine or Cathlab technologies.

This is a new technique pioneered by FV to achieve optimal outcomes in comparison to traditional anticoagulant treatment. This methodology also ensures greater patient safety by limiting risk of complications due to bleeding.

Dr Trung pays special attention to cases of venous thromboembolism disease after Covid

Another problem that has concerned Dr Trung for many years is that the high cost of vascular surgery due to the necessary use of advanced techniques and equipment (such as a Cathlab), which confers a significant financial burden on patients. FV Hospital has signed a contract with Ho Chi Minh City Social Security so that patients needing Cathlab services will have their costs covered by insurance.

This underscores FV’s dedication to offering practical support to patients while answering Dr Trung’s heartfelt wishes. “More and more people can access international-standard medical services in Vietnam while receiving financial support through health insurance.”