The obsession from the "empty space" on the head
Doctors at the University Medical Center Hospital, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Linh Dam Center have just successfully performed a skull reconstruction surgery for a patient with a wide-area skull defect after a serious traffic accident, opening up opportunities for recovery in both health and spirit.
The patient is Mr. T.V. C (40 years old, from Ninh Binh), who had a traffic accident in December 2025, leading to severe traumatic brain injury. To preserve his life, doctors at that time were forced to perform emergency decompression skull surgery.
Although he survived, after the surgery, Mr. C faced severe sequelae when a part of his skull was missing, leaving a deep depression on his head.
For the past 3 months, every time I look in the mirror or touch my head, I feel heartbroken. My left head is deeply concave, I have to wear a hat everywhere because I am self-conscious. Not only that, my right arm is getting weaker and weaker, making it difficult to do anything," Mr. C shared.
Efforts to regain brain shape and function
On March 17, Mr. C was admitted to University Medical Center Hospital in a state of wide left hemisphere skull defect, right arm muscle strength reduced to 4/5.
After conducting examinations and performing necessary tests, doctors organized a specialist consultation to come up with an optimal treatment plan.
On March 19, the team led by Dr. Pham Duy performed skull reconstruction surgery. During the surgery, doctors removed the skin and temporal muscles, revealed the hard membrane of the missing area, then placed artificial materials in the missing position, accurately adjusted to ensure both brain protection function and aesthetic factors.
According to Dr. Pham Duy, skull defect is not simply a physical problem. When there is a lack of protective bone layer, brain parenchyma is very easily damaged by external impacts.
In addition, changes in intracranial pressure in the defective area can cause many complications such as subcutaneous hypoplasia or hydrocephalus, seriously affecting the patient's health.
Thanks to modern shaping techniques, doctors have restored up to 99% of the skull shape for the patient. After surgery, it is almost impossible to recognize the previous skull defect marks.
Repairing the skull not only helps improve appearance but also contributes to stabilizing intracranial pressure - an important factor to support nerve function recovery.
According to doctors, this is the "golden time" for patients to practice exercise recovery, especially improving the strength of their right arm.
Currently, after the successful surgery, the patient continues to be monitored and cared for post-operatively to ensure good compatibility of the graft, while promoting the recovery of nerve functions.
