When considering every complex case, Nguyen Thanh Tung, MD, PhD, Head of the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Dental Surgery Department at FV Hospital, always develops treatment plans that focus on the long-term health of the patient.

When anyone meets Dr Thanh Tung for the first time, they are easily impressed by his gentle demeanour and bright smile. The young doctor is beloved by his patients for his dedication and enthusiasm, always taking the time to thoroughly explain their condition and choices of optimal treatment solutions.

His colleagues know Dr Thanh Tung as a meticulous head of department who always demands the highest standards. He believes that treatment should not only alleviate the patient’s current pain but also ensure their long-term health.

Providing comprehensive treatment for patients

Graduating from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at HCMC in 2006, Dr Tung’s passion for maxillofacial surgery propelled him to further deepen his knowledge in this field. From 2006 to 2013, he earned various professional qualifications domestically and internationally, culminating in earning a PhD in Maxillofacial Surgery from Hiroshima University, Japan. Over the course of 15 years working at the Central Hospital of Odonto-Stomatology in Ho Chi Minh City, Dr Tung honed his skills in challenging areas such as treating oral and maxillofacial trauma and diseases, managing tumours and cysts in the jaw, and performing oral and maxillofacial surgery. Now Dr Tung is recognised as a leading expert in maxillofacial trauma and pathology surgery in Vietnam.

When he joined FV Hospital as its first Head of the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery-Dental Surgery Department in 2022, Dr Tung knew this position came with many challenges. Nevertheless, the young department head eagerly collaborated with the hospital’s management team, determined to build a robust specialty department.

Dr Tung shares the hospital’s vision of focusing on every patient’s quality of life and has introduced various complex surgeries, such as treating severe jaw trauma and removing complex tumours and cysts in the maxillofacial region. These are procedures that only highly specialised maxillofacial surgeons can handle.

In challenging cases, Dr Tung is always deeply concerned with finding the best solutions to ensure patients can lead normal lives after treatment. One particularly memorable case involved a young man with a large jawbone tumour who was HIV-positive. The initial recommendation was to resect the jawbone segment and disarticulate the temporomandibular joint to treat the tumour. However, performing such major surgery posed significant risks, especially for an HIV-positive patient.

Dr Nguyen Thanh Tung recalled, “The patient was young, and resecting a segment of the jawbone would severely impact his chewing function and aesthetics. It would also necessitate additional surgeries to repair the bone defects after jawbone resection and joint disarticulation. It is already challenging for a typical patient, but even more so for someone with HIV.” His commitment to ensuring a good quality of life for patients after treatment drove him to explore and apply more conservative treatment methods.

With a deep knowledge of maxillofacial surgery and pathology, Dr Tung successfully applied the marsupialisation and decompression technique – a long-established conservative method practiced worldwide but not common in Vietnam at that time. This minimally invasive technique spares the patient from undergoing a major bone resection surgery, preserving the jawbone structure.

Dr Tung explained, “The patient still has a long life ahead. With each case, we always consider the days and months following treatment to ensure the patient has a new, healthy quality of life with minimal dependency.”

For Dr Tung, a doctor’s ethics are reflected in every thought and action concerning the patient, from meticulous considerations in diagnosis to researching treatment plans and accompanying the patient throughout their journey. He is willing to support the patient throughout the entire treatment process, even if that journey spans years or decades, if he can help the patient achieve a brighter new life.

Succeed in creating a comprehensive closed-loop model of dental and maxillofacial care.

Dr Tung shared that although he hasn’t been at FV for very long, he has had many positive impressions about FV Hospital since its establishment in 2003, when he was still a student. Dr Tung hopes that in his pioneering role in the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Dental Surgery Department, he will realise his dream of building a comprehensive model for treating dental and maxillofacial issues. Currently, his dedication is blooming at FV Hospital.

Having FV’s highly skilled personnel available enables Dr Nguyen Thanh Tung to propose a comprehensive treatment model for patients.

Dr Tung recounts that when treating complex maxillofacial cases, the collaboration of “collective intelligence” is crucial. The advantage of a multi-specialty hospital and FV’s highly skilled personnel is the key to realising a comprehensive care and treatment model for patients. Specifically, the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Dental Surgery Department is staffed by a full team of general dentists, specialist maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, and aesthetic maxillofacial surgeons.

This creates greater convenience for patients because they can receive comprehensive treatment plans for all related issues, from advanced dental techniques to oral pathology and maxillofacial surgery. The coordination between departments and personnel from various functional units within the hospital provides the foundation for doctors to readily handle complex cases.

“During patient care, if we identify issues related to other specialties, we can easily coordinate interdisciplinary treatment within the hospital, helping to increase treatment efficiency and save time for patients. This is the basis for us to implement the concept of a comprehensive care model, allowing patients to access the most specialist, comprehensive services,” Nguyen Thanh Tung, MD, PhD, explained.

FV Hospital is stepping up its investment in modern equipment to serve healthcare services.

In addition, FV’s patient-centred care process and strong investment in technology, techniques, and machinery also contribute significantly to the success of treating complex cases. The Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Dental Surgery Department has equipped the latest generation Cone beam CT Viso G7 imaging system, integrating 3D face scanning technology—one of the most advanced CBCT imaging machines in the world, providing clear, sharp images, good image noise reduction, and high radiation safety levels. In 2022, FV Hospital became the first hospital in Vietnam and the second in Southeast Asia (after Singapore) to own this state-of-the-art CBCT machine.

Furthermore, following the global trend, the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Dental Surgery Department is developing digital dentistry and gradually applying artificial intelligence to support diagnosis and treatment planning, as well as collaborating with universities to train the next generation. All arrangements and preparations for the future are being implemented as planned to turn the comprehensive care model of the head of Department into reality.

Do Trong Khanh, MD, PhD, Medical Director of FV Hospital, mentions Dr Tung with undisguised pride. Although he has only been at FV for two years, he has demonstrated himself a well-trained, talented department head with managerial qualities. He embodies meticulousness, caution, and the courage to confront difficult cases that other medical centres refuse.

“I have reason to believe that Dr Tung will be a promising department head who will develop the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – Dental Surgery Department into a focused specialty, capable of handling even more complex cases,” Dr Khanh affirmed.