No one can judge the physician’s level, the accuracy of the facilities as well as Professor Donald Tan who’s one of the most familiar people of FVH’s operating rooms can do.

Mr. H. was completely in peace of mind to have his eyes and his future gotten in the hands of FV Hospital’s doctors. On the discharged day, the farewell word was hard to speak to those doctors who were likely a long confidant. They actually restored his eyes sight, opened the window of his soul so he could see the vast blue sky in front of him.

Selling house for eyes saving

From the world’s leading ophthalmic treating professor I knew about FV Hospital’s Ophthalmology Department after a trip to Singapore for my uncle’s corneal transplanting. His decision to go to Singapore has come up after a quite carefully researching for treatment techniques and consulting from leading local and international doctors.

It is extremely important when touching and treating the eyes which are very sensitive than normal cases. We, however, did not choose Singapore. It was Professor Donald Tan, the doctor that we selected. His name is famous over the world. He ranks third on the top 100 list of the world’s most influential contributors to ophthalmology. He was honored for his outstanding work in the field of corneal treatment and transplanting, not only because he performed very well, but also studied and devised new surgical procedures which gain the highest success and effective rate. He has been flying from England to Australia, the United States and some other countries to train the newest surgical methods as well as his elaborate technique to surgeons.

Returning with the clear eyesight for the first time in 20 years, my uncle’s life turned to a new bright side with great self-confidence and self-esteem that he had lost among the mist in front of his eyes over the past two decades. Prof. Donald Tan has become my family’s benefactor. But after all, this was still a costly back and forth journey. In order to save the eyes, my uncle had to sell his own house that he planned to live in during his retirement.

Handing the future for FVH

Unfortunately, the eyes of my uncle’s son, Mr. N.T.H also suffered from the same bad condition. They began to decline severely. Of course, Donald Tan was the first name that his family thought of even though on this time the financial pressure upon his family was even heavier. The content of the email from Prof. Donald Tan was greatly gratifying. There was no need for Mr. H to go to Singapore because Prof. Donald Tan has done corneal transplant at FV Hospital since 2016. The financial burden was removed more than half. There, however, was still a little nervous. Could a hospital in Vietnam ensure absolute safety for sensitive eyes of Mr. H. who’s still a young man having an open future ahead? His right eye has been lost in an accident since he was very young so he only had one eye left now. Just being in a little negligence, his future can be closed in literally black.

FV Hospital is the choice of the world’s third-ranked ophthalmologist, who was the former president of the Asian Corneal Association, the doctor who has been invited by famous hospitals across Europe and the United States. There would be no chance for Prof. Donald Tan to put his reputation at a place that does not meet the rigorous standards to ensure the success of his every operation. We were at peace of mind and even more comfortable in hearing the confirmation from the talented professor.

he said.

No one can judge the physician’s level, the accuracy of the facilities as well as Professor Donald Tan who’s one of the most familiar people of FVH’s operating rooms can do. Mr. H. was completely in peace of mind to have his eyes and his future handed for FV Hospital.

Prescription made by the patient

There is another very important thing that we have felt through the examination and treatment of Mr. H before and after the corneal transplant. That’s the devotion and dedication without any inconvenience of the medical team here. On the discharged day, the farewell word was hard to speak to those doctors who were likely a confidant. They actually restored his eyes sight, opened the window of his soul so he could see the vast blue sky in front of him.

Once I had a chance to meet Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai, Head of FVH’s Ophthalmology Department, I was partly aware of the power that had motivated her and her colleagues to fight hard all day and night to recover the sight of the patients. I was told by this experienced doctor about the ongoing charity trips in remote areas where she had brought light to many old poor people who had suffered from the darkness, opened the door to the future for so many young men and women. There were patients with severe corneal ulcers which almost went to perforation. They come to FV Hospital with one last hope because many other clinics have given up. She told me that before receiving treatment for these cases, she had to consider a lot about her capacity as well as the condition of hospital, but even if there just a light of hope be, she would never give up. That has been the common criteria of FVH.

Dr. Mai also told me the story about an old lady with a hogback. After her cataract surgery was so successful that she has a clear vision. Right seeing Dr. Mai the old woman had been bounding before the doctor to express her thanks. This gesture made Dr. Mai extremely confused and she hurried to get the lady up. She recalled:

It was her first surgery and over the next few decades, what she realized in the first time with the scalpel is still the boundless power that urges her every day to do her best for the patient. She’s now having more responsibilities, pressure and hard work than she did.

On the contrary of the image of D. Mai who’s a generous and calm woman, Dr. Hoang Chi Tam is the enthusiastic young doctor. Being affected by the rather cold weather in Saigon he was coughing but his heart was warm. With a bright smile, he pointed to a box of coughing candy on the desk and bragging: “My patient gave me this”. Seeing my surprised eyes for the “strange story”, he laugh and said that seeing him coughing during an examination, the patient on the next day brought back a box of coughing candy and handed it to him in saying that “it was very effective for you, take it please!”. For Dr. Tam such warm feelings endlessly strengthened his ingenious persistence hands in microsurgery, on tiny blood vessels, and extremely sensitive cells in the endurance journey to open the window of the soul and unclose the future for patients in FV Hospital.

(To be continued)