Cambodian patient Ms. H, 74, was suffering from paralysis and urinary retention after a fall resulted in pressure on her sciatic nerves. She needed help to move anywhere and could not control her ability to urinate.

Ms. H’s family took her to several large hospitals in Cambodia for consultancy and diagnosis but the trauma to her chest and back did not improve. When her family brought her to FV Hospital, Dr Nguyen Manh Hung at FV’s Neurosurgery Department diagnosed paralysis and polytrauma and recommended immediate surgery, but  Ms. H’s family did not agree to the operation as they were afraid that it would be too risky for a lady of her age.

Dr Manh Hung patiently spent more than two hours talking to the family about the surgery. He told them: “If she doesn’t undergo surgery now, she will be paralysed forever. Additionally, long-term urinary retention will lead to chronic kidney disease and become more and more serious.” After listening to Dr Hung’s explanation, Ms. H’s family agreed that she have the operation.

The surgery to release the pressure on Ms. H’s sciatic nerves took more than five hours and ended in success, as Dr Hung had anticipated. After 15 days, Ms. H was steadily recovering and had started to walk again.

The first thing Ms. H said to Doctor Hung after meeting him following surgery was: “I am so grateful to you for rescuing my legs. If it wasn’t for your devotion and encouragement, I would never have walked again”.