Vi 
Over the course of making working visits at FV hospital, French ear-nose-throat (ENT) specialist Dr Bernard Colin has restored the ability to hear for many Vietnamese patients who have lived with hearing impairment for a long time.
I burst into tears when I heard the sounds of life again
After giving birth to her first child at the age of 30, Ms Phan Thi Kim Hang (Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City) suddenly suffered from tinnitus that lasted for many days before her ability to hear became poorer. She assumed this was a normal phenomenon that sometimes occurs after delivery and improves over time. Four years later, when pregnant with her second child, she could no longer hear anything from her left ear, while her hearing on the right side was very weak and the sounds she could hear resembled the buzzing of a mosquito. Ms Hang visited many healthcare places seeking treatment but couldn’t get the care she needed. Her condition became worse and worse, and Hang fell into despair because she could no longer hear.
French expert Dr Bernard Colin is an expert in treating hearing loss (Image: FV)
Three years ago, knowing that Dr Bernard Colin, an expert at treating hearing loss, was visiting FV Hospital to treat patients, Hang visited the hospital’s ENT Department hoping to regain her hearing. After examination, Dr Colin diagnosed Ms Hang with otosclerosis, which required surgery to correct.
The operation went smoothly and was successful beyond Hang’s expectations. When Dr Colin removed the gauze from her ear, Ms Hang suddenly burst into tears, making everyone around concerned that she was experiencing pain, but she was just emotional because she could hear the familiar sounds of life again.
Ms Hang shared that she is extremely grateful to Dr Colin for enabling her to listen to the sounds of life once again. She no longer feels guilt for being a dependent and a burden on her family. “Most importantly, I can live more confidently now that I can hear again,” says Hang.
French expert Dr Colin is skilled at restoring hearing
Ms Hang is one of many cases of hearing loss due to otosclerosis that Dr Colin has successfully treated.
Otosclerosis is a disease caused by abnormal bone growth inside the middle ear, mainly in the base of the stapes. Otosclerosis develops between the ages of 10 and 45. The disease progresses very slowly and its main symptoms are hearing loss and tinnitus, usually starting in one ear, then gradually spreading to both ears.
This disease can occur in both men and women, although women are at higher risk. In women with otosclerosis, during pregnancy, the patient is likely to experience hearing loss more quickly.
The most effective treatment for otosclerosis is a stapedectomy. This is a technique that requires meticulousness, a high degree of skill and experience to achieve a good outcome. Dr Bernard Colin has more than 40 years of experience and ranks among the leading ENT experts in France—he was formerly head of the Otolaryngology Department at St. Luc Hospital, Lyon, France. Dr Colin’s areas of expertise include surgical treatment for deafness, chronic otitis, punctured eardrums and otosclerosis and reconstruction of the ossicular chain.
From 2003 to present, Dr Bernard Colin has cooperated with FV Hospital to perform complex ear surgeries to treat congenital issues and ear diseases to reduce pain and difficulty for patients, enabling them to hear again and enjoy a more fulfilled life.
Hearing restoration surgeries for Vietnamese patients are performed by French expert Dr Bernard Colin at FV hospital (Photo: FV)
Dr Colin also treats cases of hearing loss experienced at a young age. Nhat Ha (Nha Be district, HCMC) fell ill when she was just over 10 years old. Initially, the girl had tinnitus, dizziness, and gradual hearing loss. She was examined at many healthcare centres but doctors could not find the cause. As her family started procedures to take Nhat Ha to Singapore for treatment, they heard that an expert from France regularly came to examine and treat patients at FV Hospital and brought her to FV instead. After being operated on by Dr Bernard Colin, Nhat Ha’s hearing improved and she was able to return to school and the joyful rhythm of her childhood.
Ms Hong, Ha’s mother shared: “I later learned that after being treated for this disease, patients can only fly 10 days after surgery. My child was very lucky to meet Dr Colin as if she had undergone surgery in Singapore, she would not have been able to return home as quickly, and we would have had to bear expensive hotel costs.” Ms Hong shared that the treatment at FV Hospital with an expert from France was highly effective for her child and much more economical than going abroad for treatment.
Dr Bernard Colin treats Vietnamese patients for hearing diseases at FV Hospital (Photo: FV)
Bernard Colin, MD, PhD, is the former Head of Otolaryngology at St. Luc Hospital, Lyon, France. He has decades of experience in the field of surgery and treatment of ear diseases such as deafness, chronic otitis, punctured eardrums and otosclerosis and reconstruction of the ossicular chain. Working at FV Hospital, Dr Colin has restored the hearing of hundreds of patients, even in people who have experienced deafness for a long time.
From November 28 to December 13, 2022, Dr Bernard Colin will directly examine and treat patients at the Ear-Nose–Throat Department, FV Hospital (6 Nguyen Luong Bang, District 7, HCMC).
