Mr. Tran Son (born in 1968, Dak Lak) said that he had endured more than 5 years of prolonged hip joint pain before being indicated for joint replacement surgery. Initially, he only felt a simmering pain in the hip joint area, spreading down to his buttocks and thighs. Thinking it was sciatica, he treated himself with medicine and folk methods, but the disease became increasingly severe, his legs gradually atrophied, and walking became difficult.
Before surgery, I was almost unable to work, living dependent on my family, and my spirit also became tense," Mr. Son shared.
After participating in the surgery support program, he had hip replacements on both sides in turn. Only about 20 days after the most recent surgery, he was able to walk thanks to the training and guidance of doctors.
According to Mr. Son, the cost of each surgery can be up to about 100 million VND, even with insurance, it is still a big burden for a difficult family. "Without support, I would hardly have the opportunity to have surgery," Mr. Son said.
After surgery, he noticed a clear improvement in the quality of life, from living, working to spirit. "My life has changed about 80%. I can walk, work and live much more normally than before," Mr. Son shared.
Not only Mr. Son, in the past 5 years, the program has provided free surgery for nearly 200 patients in difficult circumstances, helping them access high-quality medical services. Thanks to that, many patients have recovered their mobility and significantly improved their quality of life.
According to Dr. My Duy Tien - Head of the Department of Lower Branch (B1. b), Military Hospital 175, the hip joint consists of a pituitary root and a femoral head, surrounded by a solid surrounding muscle system. Hip joint pain can originate from many different causes such as inflammatory reactions in the joint, injuries during exercise or degenerative diseases.
When hip joint pain appears, patients need to be assessed to choose a suitable treatment strategy, from using anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy to surgical intervention. In which, cases of severe hip osteoarthritis or necrosis of the femur head are often indicated for hip replacement. At Military Hospital 175, a team of US doctors and experts has coordinated to perform complete hip replacement surgery for patients.
According to doctors, hip replacement is indicated depending on the patient's age and the degree of joint damage. For elderly patients with femoral neck fractures, partial hip replacement may be needed. Meanwhile, more severe cases will be indicated for total hip replacement to restore motor function.
Colonel, Dr. Phan Dinh Mung - Deputy Director of Military Hospital 175, Director of the Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics emphasized that the greatest value of the program lies not only in the number of surgeries but also in the effectiveness of training and professional transfer.
What international experts are aiming for is not only to perform surgery for patients, but more importantly, to train medical staff on the spot. When the delegation leaves, the trained personnel will continue to treat and support more poor patients. This is a very great human value and needs to be replicated.
