On May 19, Ho Chi Minh City University Medical Center Hospital said that the unit had just successfully deployed a provincial skull surgery on a 12-year-old male patient. Previously, the child had prolonged headaches for 2 months, accompanied by a temporary weakness numbness through half of the body and a short loss of consciousness.
When taken to the hospital for examination, doctors discovered a large brain tumor located right in an important functional area, directly related to movement and language. This is a particularly sensitive location, where all interventions potentially leave long-term sequelae, affecting the patient's ability to move, communicate and quality of life if not strictly controlled.
Dr. Do Hong Hai - Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Hospital HCMC said that the tumor is located close to the important functional area of the brain. Therefore, the treatment goal is not only to remove the tumor but also to maximally preserve nerve function for the patient.
The team chose lucid skull surgery - a specialized neurosurgery technique often indicated in cases of brain damage near important functional areas, instead of general anesthesia as usual.
According to Dr. Do Hong Hai, with provincial skull surgery, patients can be directly assessed for their ability to speak and move during surgery. This helps surgeons determine the safe boundaries when removing tumors, early recognize the risk of affecting brain function to adjust operations in a timely manner, thereby minimizing damage to important nerve pathways.
The implementation of this technique in children is a major challenge due to high professional requirements and synchronous coordination between many specialties such as neurosurgery, anesthesia and resuscitation, nursing and psychological support.
After surgery, the patient was awake, recovered well and no new focal neurological signs appeared. Post-operative imaging results showed that the tumor had been removed almost completely. The patient continued to be closely monitored and developed a subsequent treatment plan to ensure a comprehensive recovery process.
According to Dr. Truong Thanh Tinh - Head of Neurosurgery Department, University Medical Center Hospital, this method not only helps increase tumor removal ability, but also makes an important contribution to preserving function and long-term quality of life for patients, especially in cases of brain tumors located in high-risk areas.
From this case, doctors recommend that parents should not be subjective about neurological signs in children such as prolonged headaches, fleeting weakness of limbs or ataxia. Early detection and timely intervention not only help improve treatment effectiveness but also contribute to preserving brain function, learning ability and long-term development of children.
